Out of the Ashes
by ynnej2198
Summary: I was inspired by the show on 6/3/14 to write a short story about what might happen after Gabriel's death. How do #patrina move forward after such tragedy? I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading! CH23 added 7/2!
1. Chapter 1

It had been three long, torturous months since Gabriel died. He hadn't seen Sabrina since the awful day they buried their precious angel. After the funeral, she told him she had quit her job at GH and was moving back to Puerto Rico. She didn't ask for his opinion or consent, she just disappeared after extracting a promise from him to seek justice for their son's murder. Patrick knew that Gabriel dying had been Sabrina's last straw. She'd managed to get over the pain of their breakup by looking forward to a life of hope and happiness with her son, but then that was ripped away too. Rather than continue to fight, she retreated. Patrick honestly couldn't blame her, but he was surprised at how lost he felt without her around. Yes, he was still married to Robin, his absentee wife, but somehow it comforted him knowing that Sabrina was around and still a small part of his life. Just seeing her smile made his day better, even when the smile wasn't directed at him – and they hadn't been, not since the ultrasound when they found out they were having a boy. However, Patrick heard from Pip that Sabrina was back in town to visit Felix and he couldn't be happier.

Sabrina was back. The second she stepped off the plane, it was like she was punched in the gut. She couldn't breathe from the pain. All the memories she had worked so hard in Puerto Rico to banish from her life were suddenly back with a vengeance. She thought she had found peace, both with her breakup with Patrick and Gabriel's death, but she was mistaken. After Gabriel died, there was nothing more left for her in Port Charles, not even nursing (as she could do that anywhere). So, she buried her baby and then severed all ties with Port Charles and the people in it (except for Felix because he would never allow it). The three months she spent in Puerto Rico had been just what she needed. She visited with her family, spent time at her favorite beach and worked at the same hospital where her mom did. She had been happy, well, as happy as she could be with a broken heart. As she grieved for her son, memories of her life with Patrick crept into the recesses of her mind. Even though he was with Robin, she cared for him and worried about him. She wondered if he found justice for Gabriel, but didn't have the strength to contact him because doing so would just reopen the wounds; so, she just prayed for his safety and happiness while she tried to move on. Returning to Port Charles was the last thing she wanted to do, but Felix had begged her to come visit, saying it was important, and she agreed because she was a sucker for her best friend.

Patrick found himself hanging by the nurses station for most of his shift. He didn't want to miss Sabrina. He had news about the investigation and wanted to be sure to tell her in person. At least that is the excuse he used when Felix, Liz and Epiphany all told him to get lost. What he couldn't admit to himself was that he was desperate for a glimpse of her. Just one glimpse…

Sabrina didn't understand why Felix couldn't meet her at his apartment. She didn't want to see Patrick and meeting Felix at GH made the chance of running into Patrick that much greater. She couldn't be around him and not want more. Being dumped hadn't changed that. Neither had time. Maybe Sabrina would be lucky and Patrick would be off today…

Patrick heard the elevator door ping and knew without a doubt that Sabrina was going to step off. Despite the fact that they were apart, he could still "feel" her. He was unprepared, however, for what he saw.

Sabrina stopped in her tracks the second she stepped off the elevator. She knew Patrick was there because she "felt" him. He was married, but that did nothing to sever their connection. As she turned toward the nurses station, she drank in the sight of him.

Patrick was shocked by Sabrina's appearance. She had cut her hair to a chin length bob and added blonde highlights. She wore a pair of sleek black-rimmed glasses, heels higher than he'd ever seen her wear and a black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. She smiled at the group of them, but he could tell the light in her eyes wasn't quite as bright as it used to be, as if Gabriel had taken a piece of her light with him to heaven. Sabrina was still broken despite her efforts to make everyone think she was fine.

Sabrina had dressed carefully for her return to PC. In Puerto Rico, she was laid back, but here, with the memories, she felt like she needed armor. Since she stopped by the cemetery on her way from the airport, she figured her black sheath dress with heels was appropriate. The haircut and glasses (which she got right after returning to PR) were her way looking toward the future. In PR, she was a nurse, but she now specialized in NICU care. She also took on the role of advocate for mothers of premature babies. She was attending graduate school online so that she could expand her role within the hospital to include counseling. She could tell that Patrick was shocked by her appearance - and that he could see right through it. Sabrina also knew that Patrick was just as broken as she was.

Patrick held back as Felix, Liz and Pip greeted Sabrina. Pip was very "Pip" about the whole thing, while Felix and Liz rushed to hug her, coo over her makeover and bombard her with questions about Puerto Rico and her trip back. Finally it was his turn.

Sabrina wasn't sure how to greet Patrick, so she let him set the tone. "Sabrina," he whispered into her ear the intimate way he always used to, as he hugged her tight. "Patrick," she responded as she hugged him back. "How are you? How's Emma?" Patrick pulled back and told her they were both okay – limping along. When he asked her to go for coffee after his shift to discuss the investigation, she agreed. She needed to know if the person who killed her son had been caught.

Patrick was about to part ways with Sabrina when the elevator dinged again, once again throwing their worlds into a tailspin.


	2. Chapter 2

The surprise Patrick felt at Sabrina's new appearance was, it turns out, nothing compared to the shock of seeing his wife and Jason Morgan exit the elevator. When Gabriel was sick, he had told Robin not to come back at all if she wouldn't come back to be there to support him and Emma in their time of need. Although he secretly hoped she would walk through the door during his crisis, he had stuck to his guns and not contacted her or taken her calls. So, he was blindsided to see his wayward wife and her science project return on the very same day as Sabrina.

Sabrina had her back to the elevator and saw Patrick's shocked face, so she turned around and was startled by Robin exiting the elevator with a man Sabrina didn't know. From his reaction, it was almost as if he hadn't expected to see her. However, before she could ponder the oddness of it, another man stepped off the elevator and caused her to find the smile she lost since the cemetery.

The man who exited the elevator walked around Robin and Jason and made a beeline for Sabrina, who dazzled him with her megawatt smile. The man walked up to Sabrina, grabbed her hand and kissed her on the cheek before he whispered something in her ear that made her giggle. Unfortunately, Patrick didn't have much time to ponder their interaction before Robin made her way over to him as Jason was pounced on by Elizabeth, who was crying hysterically.

Sabrina was happy to see Simon. They'd met in Puerto Rico on the beach. She tried to blow him off, clearly not in the mood to meet men, but he was charming and funny and persistent. Eventually she gave in and they had a drink by one of the resort beach bars. His name was Simon Frasier and he was Australian. (Really, the man was the personification of 'tall, dark and handsome') He was working at the resort in Puerto Rico because he simply liked it there and the surfing was good. She was still grieving her son (and still in love with Patrick), so she wasn't looking for anything serious, but what started out as a nice distraction from the pain became a wonderful friendship – with occasional benefits. When Felix asked her to return home, Simon agreed to come with her, hoping to make the trip easier for her.

Robin was home. Finally. It had taken her half a year, but she had been able to revive Jason. While the cost of bringing Jason home to his loved ones was turning over the "recipe" to Viktor Cassadine so he could de-thaw Helena and Stavros and possibly losing her marriage, she knew she'd made the right choice when she saw Elizabeth's reaction to Jason's "resurrection". They returned to Port Charles and came straight to the hospital, both for Jason to get checked out before revealing himself to Sam and Danny and so she could finally see her husband and let him know she was sorry, she loved him and she wanted their life together.

She made her way to her husband as Elizabeth pounced on Jason, who was capable of handling himself. (He had a few minor side effects, but came out of his stasis largely intact both mentally and physically.) Robin saw the shocked look on Patrick's face and then saw a slightly jealous one as the man they'd rode in the elevator walked up to the woman Patrick had been talking to, grabbed her hand and greeted her with a kiss and intimate whisper. They must be lovers, Robin thought right before she halted, realizing the only other woman besides her that Patrick would get that look on his face for was Sabrina.

Patrick, Robin, Sabrina and Simon stood in awkward silence until Sabrina spoke up and introduced her "friend" Simon to the couple. When she did so, Patrick noticed the unspoken communication passing between them as Simon looked down at her reassuringly and he worked hard to tamp down his jealousy. Simon attempted conversation until Sabrina caught onto the tension between him and Robin and silently ushered her "friend" away with a promise to talk to Patrick later (accompanied by a resigned look that implied, once again, he would be too busy to deal with her now that he clearly had things to discuss with Robin).

Patrick was saddened that Sabrina, clearly hurt once again, would believe reuniting with Robin trumped their discussion on the murder of their baby. Considering Robin seemed to trump everything else in their relationship up to this point, he really couldn't blame Sabrina. So, he shocked her (and himself a little) when he shouted "Sabrina! Wait!" at her retreating form. When she didn't stop, he glanced at Robin, shrugged and ran after her. "Sabrina, please," he said when he reached her. "Stop."

Sabrina halted (against her better judgment) at Patrick's plea and slowly turned around. "What, Patrick?" She glanced toward Robin and said, "Clearly you are busy." She swallowed convulsively and said, "I'm in town all week. Call me when you're free."

Sabrina couldn't hide her surprise when he replied, "I'm free now and we have a lot to discuss. Just let me go change first, okay?" As Patrick made his way to the locker room, completely ignoring his wife and her companion, Sabrina wondered if hell had finally frozen over. She wasn't sure much else could make Patrick choose her over the love of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

As Patrick was changing, he heard the locker room door open and knew instinctively that Robin had followed him. He supposed it wasn't fair of him to ignore her outside, but he hoped she wasn't expecting him to welcome her with open arms, kisses and declarations of love. If he was, then she would be severely disappointed. It was bad enough that she chose Jason over him and Emma, but her refusal to come back after the accident and be with him while Gabriel fought for his life was the last straw. How could someone who claimed to love him more than her own life let him - and their daughter - languish in pain and grief? To be fair, she had called to check on Emma and him (even though he refused to speak with her), but he needed HER there with him, so calls weren't enough

Robin stopped when she'd reached his locker and waited patiently for him to acknowledge her. When he didn't, she whispered "Patrick"

"What Robin?" He said offhandedly as he continued changing. "I don't have time for this right now."

"We need to talk, Patrick." Laying a hand on his arm to get him to stop, she continued, "I'm done. Free. And I'm here for you and our daughter now. We can be together again - get through this loss as a family."

Patrick let out an involuntary snort at her words. Free? She was "free" the entire time to come home, but she chose to stay because of Jason and her damn "connection" to him. Patrick didn't realize until this moment how truly angry he was at her for leaving and staying away when he needed her most. He knew last time wasn't her fault but this time she'd had a choice - and it wasn't their family. Patrick took a deep breath and said calmly, "Emma will be home from school soon, so why don't you wait for her and surprise her? When I'm done with Sabrina, we'll discuss things."

Robin got a pouty look on her face and said, "You can talk to Sabrina anytime. I need to be with my family right now."

Done changing, Patrick looked at the picture of baby Gabriel hanging on his locker door - so small and defenseless in his incubator. "No, Robin, I can't wait to talk to Sabrina. She is only in town a few days and we need to discuss our son's murder."

"Murder?" She asked, shocked. "What do you mean?" She paused, "Wait? Isn't Sabrina living here?"

Exasperated, Patrick ground out, "Our son was murdered. We were run off the road on purpose. And, no, Sabrina moved back to Puerto Rico right after Gabriel's funeral."

"So you and Emma have been going thru this alone?" Robin asked, sadly.

Patrick paused, slammed his locker door shut and said, resignedly, "Yeah, but what else is new, Robin? Emma and I are used to getting through stuff on our own." Then he turned on his heel and left.

* * *

Sabrina waited in the hall for Patrick when he went to change. When she saw Robin follow him, she sat on a nearby bench thinking it would be a while. Simon sat with her while she waited, but agreed to give her time with Patrick alone. They would meet back at the metrocourt later for dinner with Fe and Lucas.

Through observing, Sabrina learned that the man Robin was with was Jason Morgan. Apparently, she was never in Africa and had gone to parts unknown save his life instead. Jason told Elizabeth that Robin wanted to come home, but she couldn't and that she was very torn up about it. If she had left when the accident occurred, he would have died. Suddenly it made sense to Sabrina. Patrick knew where Robin really was and that she chose the infamous "Jason" (who Robin "died" to save) over him in his time of need. He had to be pissed. Although they'd had each other to get through the worst of it, she knew deep down that he really had wished Robin were there. But, what else was new?

As Sabrina waited, she tried to get the "important news" out of Felix, but he wouldn't budge. He teased her about her famous lack of patience (which really cheered her up) and told her that good things come to those who wait. So, she would just have to wait. He also gestured to Simon with his head and gave her a look that said she would have to explain why she kept that hotness a secret the next time they were alone. Shortly thereafter, Patrick stalked out of the locker room (clearly aggravated) with Robin (clearly upset) at his heels. He stopped in front of Sabrina as Jason and Liz made their way over to meet Robin.

"Are you ready?" Patrick asked impatiently, completely ignoring Jason. When Sabrina nodded, he turned to Robin and said, "You'll be at the house to meet Emma in an hour, right?"

Robin looked at Jason and hesitated briefly before saying, "I can't, Patrick, I'm Jason's physician of record and I need to be here when he gets checked out."

Patrick gave Robin a looked that screamed "You aren't serious?" when Liz chimed in and agreed to pick up Emma when she picks up Cam. Patrick, clearly too tired to argue, simply shook his head and motioned to Sabrina to precede him.

Sabrina, though, was having none of it. If Patrick was annoyed at his precious wife, it wasn't her fault or problem; so, she took her time getting her things together and saying goodbye to Liz and Fe. When she told Simon she would see him later, he put on a show that she would have to be sure to scold him for.


	4. Chapter 4

As they drove to Kelly's, he and Sabrina didn't talk. He honestly didn't trust himself to speak thanks to his maelstrom of emotions. His anger at Robin was as fierce as ever and was now compounded with her refusal to be at home to meet their daughter when she got home from school. He could live with Robin choosing Jason over him, but he hated that the thug trumped Emma, too. Robin was her mother for Christ sake! Emma should come first. The only thing that helped him stay calm during the little scene was Sabrina's presence and his unwillingness to make a difficult situation worse for her; however, that was blown to smithereens by her little show with the Aussie. Patrick didn't have any "friends" he acted like that with. It really bugged him.

Sabrina silently sat beside Patrick in his new car, as the other one had been totaled in the accident, and she could tell he was hanging onto his temper by a thread. She knew her little show with Simon (which was pretty misleading) made him uncomfortable, but she actually couldn't bring herself to care. She spent months being uncomfortable around him and Robin and learned to live with it, so he could, too. Sabrina did feel bad about Emma, though. Robin was gone for six months and couldn't leave Jason's side to see her child? Harsh.

When they got to Kelly's, they ordered coffee and desserts and sat outside on the patio so they could talk privately. "So?" Sabrina hedged. "What's going on?"

"Ava killed our son." Patrick said matter-of-factly.

"What?! Why?"

"Because she's a bitch, that's why. She was too busy protecting her own ass to give a damn about anyone elses," Patrick said bitterly.

Sabrina, in denial, shook her head. "But, I don't understand…" Fighting tears, she added, "Why would she do that to us?"

"Carlos."

"Carlos?" Sabrina asked confusedly.

"Yeah. When Carlos found out Gabriel died from the newspaper, he called and asked me to visit since you already left town. I almost refused to go, but I admit that I was curious to find out what he had to say. When I got there, he took me aside and told me it was all his fault and he was so, so sorry. I was understandably confused considering he was in jail. It was then that he told me Ava blackmailed him to take the fall for AJ's murder, which he didn't commit, by using you - and our son - as leverage."

"What?"

"That bitch told him if he didn't confess to the murder she would go after the only thing he loved and rip it away from him. She put the hit out right as Carlos was 'confessing' to the shooting."

"I knew he didn't do it!" Sabrina shouted before she could stop herself. "So, did Ava kill AJ?"

"I don't know. Carlos wouldn't tell me. I don't think he knows who killed AJ. He said he was sent to, but he was knocked out before he could. Either Ava did it or she is protecting the person who did. Either way, I haven't been able to find anything else out because the woman is always guarded by one of Sonny's goons."

"I knew he was telling me the truth. He would never have sworn on Gabriel's life otherwise. But, why is Sonny guarding her?"

"She's pregnant. But, I don't think that's the reason. If I know Sonny, it's because HE has something on HER and he doesn't want to let her out of his sight. After all, the kid is either his child or grandchild."

Sabrina was so dumbfounded that she couldn't speak. Child or grandchild? That evil bitch was pregnant? She robbed Sabrina of her precious angel and gets rewarded by getting one of her own? How the hell was that fair? Gabriel is dead because Ava was protecting her own criminal ass? Sabrina swore to God right there that she would find a way to make the woman pay, not only for railroading Carlos, but for robbing her of child. Sabrina wasn't a vengeful person by nature, but she would make an exception in this case. Without Gabriel, she had nothing to live for anyway.

Patrick watched Sabrina react to his revelations and got scared by the look on her face. Sabrina was the sweetest, kindest most amiable person he ever met, but right now, she looked ready to commit murder. Patrick knew that Gabriel's death damaged Sabrina. It had damaged him too, but having Emma in his life gave him a reason and the strength to wake up everyday despite the pain. Sabrina had simply escaped the pain, rather than, he thought, dealing with it. Now that she knew the truth (which he couldn't prove, by the way), he was afraid of what she might do.

Patrick grabbed Sabrina's hand across the table to pull her out of her trance. "Sabrina, I know you're angry. Hell, I'm furious, too. But, I'm begging you not to do anything."

"You want to just let her get away with it?"

"No. She won't get away with it. I think Sonny will get our vengeance for us. We just need to wait it out."

If Patrick knew Sonny, and he did, he knew that Ava's days were numbered. Although Sabrina nodded her head in acquiescence, he wasn't convinced she would let Sonny handle things for them. Even muzzled, Ava wasn't to be toyed with, especially by someone as "nice" as Sabrina. Patrick couldn't stand the thought of anything bad happening to her, so he vowed to keep an eye on her while she was in town just in case she got any bad ideas.


	5. Chapter 5

Simon beat Sabrina to the Metro Court and decided to wait in the bar for her to get there. When he got to the bar he noticed the blonde behind it was having an unfriendly whispered conversation with the pregnant blonde sitting at the bar. Simon was loathe to interrupt, but he was thirsty; so he cleared his throat to get their attention. When they turned toward him, with equal looks of annoyance, he involuntarily gasped, "Carly?!"

The tall one behind the bar answered him with a "What?" but he ignored her, his attention focused on the other woman.

With an almost devious purr, the pregnant one looked him up and down seductively and answered, "God no, but I could be...for you."

Uncomfortable, Simon reared back. Quick on his feet, he recovered and apologized for the confusion, explaining that she was the spitting image of a woman he knew in another life.

Before she could respond, Sabrina and Patrick walked in. When Sabrina saw him, she smiled happily - until she noticed his companion. With a look of murderous rage, Sabrina began to make her way over but was halted by Patrick grabbing her hand and almost imperceptibly shaking his head "no".

Simon, who never did get his drink, excused himself from the ladies as the one behind the bar looked between Sabrina and Ava confusedly. When he reached Sabrina and Patrick, Sabrina broke out of Patrick's grasp and plowed into his arms whispering "I want to go home!" as she fought back tears.

Simon looked up at Patrick accusingly with a "What did you do to her?" look. When Patrick didn't respond to the challenge, Simon gave up and focused all his attention on Sabrina.

* * *

Patrick knew that Sabrina was unhinged and the scene he just witnessed proved it. What the hell did she think she was going to do? Confront (and piss off) Ava in front of the entire hotel? All that would accomplish is getting Sabrina added to her long list of enemies to annihilate. Thankfully, Sabrina halted at his urging. He had to give the Aussie credit for being as perceptive as he was in knowing Sabrina wasn't right. However, he was pretty pissed that the guy thought HE did something to Sabrina. He loved her. Why would he hurt her? (_Wait. What?_)

* * *

Sabrina had finally calmed down from their conversation at Kelly's. She was looking forward to seeing, and being cheered up by, Simon, and putting that miserable bitch Ava out of her mind. Sabrina wasn't sure why Patrick insisted on walking her into the hotel. Since she didn't have the energy to argue, she let him have his way. She had just said goodbye to him when she noticed Simon (who always made her smile) by the bar with Carly...and Ava. Suddenly, it was like a switch flipped in her mind and the fury she'd managed to tamp down came roaring back up again. Before she thought better of it, her feet started to move toward Ava to confront her. Thankfully, Patrick had the presence of mind to stop her before she did something foolish. All it took was a gentle touch of his hand and she was immediately calmed enough to think rationally. When Simon reached them, she plowed into him, yearning for the comfort of human contact that she knew Patrick really couldn't - or shouldn't - give her. Simon eventually calmed Sabrina down enough to convince her to go up to their suite and get ready for dinner with Felix and Lucas. After saying goodbye, the two boarded the elevator, leaving a frowning Patrick in their wake.

* * *

Carly eyed the scene in her hotel curiously. She pondered for a moment why Sabrina, literally the nicest person on the planet, would want to kill Ava. Then, it hit her: Sabrina knew. She knew that Ava setup Carlos to take the fall for AJ's murder and that Ava did it by causing the accident that cost Sabrina her baby. Patrick knew, too. As Carly looked at Ava, she knew that Ava knew as well - and was not happy about it.

Carly had to talk to Sonny. Honestly, Carly didn't give two shits about Connie. Or, hell, even AJ other than being sad Michael lost his "father" (and she used the term loosely). But, Carly genuinely liked Sabrina and felt awful about that poor defenseless baby being ripped from her. Carly remembered the rage she felt at AJ for causing her "miscarriage" years ago. While she had been prepared to exact revenge for her loss - and live with the consequences; Carly knew that Sabrina would never be able to live with herself if she killed Ava. She simply didn't have it in her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

During the drive home to Emma and Robin (if she could tear herself away from Jason), Patrick thought about the scene at the hotel: his fear when Ava noticed Sabrina's murderous look; his desperate attempt to stop Sabrina from getting on her bad side; his relief when Sabrina heeded his advice; his jealousy (yes, jealousy) that Simon got to be the one she ran to for comfort; and, his annoyance that Simon could think he would ever hurt the woman he loved. It was, however, the last part that truly threw Patrick for a loop. Once he recommitted to Robin, he put his love for Sabrina out of his mind because, well, he had to. They were able to forge a friendship, though distant, from the ashes of their breakup that ultimately got them through Gabriel's crisis. What surprised Patrick, however, was that Sabrina's departure from Port Charles was just as, if not more, emotionally wracking for Patrick than Robin's had been. Truthfully, he hadn't been overly surprised Robin "ditched" him, but he would never have pegged Sabrina to do it. The fact that she didn't do it to him - that her departure had nothing to do with him at all - wasn't even a factor. He felt betrayed, even though he had absolutely no right to. After she was gone, he felt empty and missed her everyday. Why would he miss Sabrina more than his wife? Ironically, he thought, maybe Robin being "dead" for so long had prepared him better for life without her, almost making the time she was home a dream that he'd just woken up from after she left.

When he got home, Robin and Emma were in the living room chatting on the couch. At the sound of the door opening, she jumped up and ran to him, so excited to show him her "surprise" of mommy being home. Patrick was happy that Emma was happy; but, as far as he was concerned, things were far from happy for him and Robin.

* * *

Once they got to their suite at the hotel, Simon convinced Sabrina to take a hot shower and pull herself together for dinner. Felix had clearly been excited about something and Sabrina didn't want to ruin it for him. As she and Simon got dressed, the mantra four more days ran through her head. She just had to get through four more days and then she would be free - again.

When they met Felix and Lucas for dinner in the restaurant, which, thankfully, Ava had vacated, Sabrina learned that they were getting married...in three days...and they needed her to come home to be maid of honor. Considering they weren't even together when she'd left, Sabrina, good friend that she was, questioned the hurry. But, when Felix assured her it is what he wants, she relented. Far be it for her to tell other people how to live their lives when she can barely live her own. So, Sabrina hugged them both and wished them well.

Fe and Lucas wanted her and Simon to come to the Rib with them, but Sabrina was exhausted and begged off. She just couldn't act happy any more. She didn't have the strength. When she and Simon got back to their room, she asked him to hold her until she fell asleep.

* * *

Patrick managed to hold it together through dinner and putting Emma to bed. He smiled at the appropriate times and fawned over all the gifts Robin brought for Emma and touched Robin just enough to keep Emma in the dark about the tension between her parents.

"Patrick, what is going on with you? Why are you being so distant?"

Patrick, who'd been sitting on the couch and leaning against the back of it with his eyes closed, came to attention. "Are you serious right now?"

"Absolutely"

"You left me and Emma willingly to save Jason. You refused to come back and be with me while I buried and grieved for my premature son. Then, you come home out of the blue and expect me to welcome you with open arms like nothing happened?"

"Look, Patrick, I know it was unfair of me to leave you and Emma so soon after returning, but I just HAD to do it. If there was even a chance that Jason could be returned to Sam and Danny, I had to help. I didn't want Jason to miss out on his son's life the way I missed out on Emma's, nor did I want Sam and Danny to go through any more pain unnecessarily." She walked over and sat next to Patrick and continued. "I regret every day that I couldn't be here with you after the accident, but if I left Jason, he would have died. I couldn't have that on my conscience - knowing I could have saved him, but abandoning him."

"Do you even know how hypocritical you sound right now, Robin?" Patrick spat, temper flaring. "You ABANDONED your family to save his. You preach about missing Emma's life, but you willingly walk away. You don't want to cause Sam pain, but you are fine causing me pain. You regret not being here for me, but took no action TO be here. I had to grieve the death of my son alone with Emma, who has already had enough grief to last her three lifetimes."

"You had Sabrina."

"No, Robin, I didn't. She left the day of the funeral, too caught up in her own pain to fix mine the way she fixed it last time. Losing me and Gabriel turned out to be too much for her."

"I didn't realize."

"No, you didn't and you didn't make an effort to."

"Hey, I called; but, you wouldn't talk to me!"

"Can you blame me? Really?"

Before Robin could say anything else, Patrick stood up. "I'm going to bed. I'm going to sleep in the guest room tonight. I'll see you in the morning."

"Patrick…"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sabrina woke up the next morning in as much anguish as she was in the night before. Thankfully, Simon stayed with her, which helped keep her nightmares at bay. When she was alone, she had a hard time falling asleep and then, when she finally would, the nightmares would wake her up. Her mind replayed Gabriel's birth and death over and over. Some nights the sound of the ocean outside her condo would ease her mind and allow her to sleep, but she only truly found peace in Simon's protective embrace. If given a choice, she would have preferred Patrick's protective embrace but beggars couldn't be choosers.

After getting ready and eating a small breakfast, she wasn't really sure what to do with herself. She promised to help Fe with his wedding plans, but he worked until mid afternoon. Soon, a thought popped into her head and she told Simon she would meet up with him later and left with their rental car.

* * *

Patrick had a hard time sleeping last night. His conversation with Robin replayed in his mind along with his interactions with (and lingering feelings for) Sabrina. He figured he should be thankful to Robin for helping him deal with Gabriel's death, though in a roundabout way. Since he used up all his sleepless nights and nightmares on the lab explosion, he was able to channel his anger and pain over Gabriel into more productive means. When the emotions threatened to overcome him and steal his sleep (which he needed to be rested enough to cut into people's brains), he took a hot shower (which made him sleepy) and watched his precious Emma sleep for 20 minutes. Watching her sleep brought him enough peace to keep his own demons at bay. She was the reason he fought to survive every day when he thought the grief would drown him.

He wanted to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling pondering his predicament, but he knew he needed to get a move on so that he could keep up appearances for Emma's sake. He had about fifteen minutes to shower and get ready before Emma would be up. He didn't expect what happened next.

* * *

"Rivera, you have a visitor!"

As Carlos was led from the multipurpose room into the visiting area, he wondered who it could be. He was sentenced for AJ's murder months ago and the only people who had come by were his lawyer, Julian and Patrick. He was devastated when he found out baby Gabriel died and felt he owed Patrick and Sabrina an apology. However, when Patrick came, Carlos learned that Sabrina had gone home to Puerto Rico right after the funeral, completely shattered. So, he apologized to Patrick and then, after being bombarded by questions, confessed his culpability in their son's death. Patrick was angry, but, surprisingly, not at him. The guy was furious at Ava for targeting Sabrina. Before Patrick left, Carlos begged him to let the fact that he knew Ava was responsible to be enough to bring him peace. Sticking his nose into her business would likely result in Patrick his chopped off.

When Carlos walked into the visitor area he was shocked to see Sabrina standing there. "Querida?"

"Hello, Carlos." Sabrina said calmly (a little too calmly). "It seems we have some things to discuss."

* * *

Patrick was showering in the guest bathroom when he heard the door open. Assuming it was Emma, who usually used what was not-so-affectionately known by Patrick as the "looks like rubber duckies threw up everywhere" bathroom, he cursed himself for forgetting to lock the door and shouted to her to stay outside until he was done. He knew she wouldn't be able to see anything through the curtain, which had a giant rubber duckie on it, and liner, but he didn't want to take any chances. When she didn't answer, he thought maybe he just didn't latch the door properly. Patrick was about to check it when the curtain opened and Robin, naked, stepped into the tub with him.

Miffed, Patrick asked, "Robin? What are you doing?"

"Spending quality time with my husband, who I haven't seen in six months," she purred. Robin sidled closer to him and whispered, "Don't worry. Emma's still asleep. We have plenty of time." And then she kissed him.


	8. Chapter 8

Patrick was a man. A man who had been celibate for half a year. Thus, when his naked wife kissed him, he responded the way a man who had been celibate for six months would be expected to respond. Patrick allowed himself to give in to Robin's kiss as he pulled her closer. However, as Robin became more turned on, Patrick's anger began clouding his libido. What did she think a roll in the hay would accomplish? Suddenly, he wrenched himself away from her, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Breathing heavily, he ground out, "We can't do this."

"Yes, Patrick, we can. And should. We've been apart so long."

Unbidden, he spat,, "And whose fault was that?" and stepped of the tub. Once he was wrapped in a towel and calm, he turned back to her. "Look, I love you, but to be honest, I don't like you much right now. You can't expect us just to pretend everything is fine because it isn't. I'm still angry. If you love me, you will give me time."

Robin started to say something, but Patrick turned away and moved toward the door. "You may want to get out and get dressed. Em's will be up in a few minutes and she will be annoyed if either of us mess up her morning routine."

* * *

Sabrina's visit with Carlos had been productive. He confirmed the story Patrick told her and apologized over and over for his role in Gabriel's death. Sabrina could tell that Carlos was in agony over what happened, so she chose not to take her anger out on him. Technically, if he didn't work for the Jerome's, she would never have been in danger. However, since he was serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit, she figured that was punishment enough. Plus, Sabrina was moved that he confessed for her, even though she knew he didn't do it.

Since Carlos was sentenced, he was being housed in a prison an hour away from Port Charles. Thus, it took Sabrina longer than she originally anticipated to return. She thought a lot on the drive home and resolved that if there was a way to help Carlos while nailing Ava to the wall, she would try to find it. He didn't deserve to rot in jail for something Ava did.

She was due to meet Fe in an hour, so, after checking in with Simon, she decided to kill some time at the Starbucks by the hospital. She was drinking her coffee and checking her email on her iPhone when a shadow loomed over her. Sabrina looked up and saw Patrick, gorgeous as ever. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

She agreed and they began chatting. She told him of her trip to see Carlos. Instead of getting on her case, Patrick was glad she went, especially if it put her mind at ease. They talked briefly about Gabriel and then he asked her about her time in Puerto Rico. When she told him she was in graduate school, she could tell he was happy for her. Patrick had been one of her best friends for months, so it felt good to reconnect with him. Soon, they were both laughing and smiling.

* * *

Patrick had helped Emma get ready for school and then dropped her off. He didn't usually drop her, but he wanted an excuse to get out of the house and away from Robin to think things through. After he dropped Em off, he stopped at the cemetery to see his boy. Talking to Gabriel always helped him. When he was finished, he stopped at the Starbucks to kill time before his shift and saw Sabrina, who took his breath away in another killer outfit. Before he knew what he was doing, Patrick asked to join her and their conversation about her visit with Carlos (which he worked hard not to chastise her for), Gabriel, her enrollment in grad school and her time in Puerto Rico lifted his spirits. He relaxed further when she asked him about work and Emma and what had happened in PC since she was gone and they were soon laughing and smiling.

Sabrina was a breath of fresh air and Patrick couldn't get enough. When she told him she was happy to be going to the new honkey tonk later with Fe, Patrick impulsively told her he would be by after his shift. Of course, he knew that she assumed he was just saying it to be polite, so though she welcomed his presence, she didn't believe he would show. He couldn't wait to see her face when she was proven wrong…


	9. Chapter 9

After finishing up the wedding plans, Sabrina, Felix, Lucas and Simon stopped at the new honkey tonk. She was really the only one of the group who actually kind of liked country music, so she was happy to be there. As they ate, she watched the people on the dance floor line dancing and tried to muster up the courage to go out herself since the guys were too busy making fun of the people trying (and failing) to ride the mechanical bull.

Sabrina was shocked when Patrick actually showed up. He didn't particularly care for country music, so she wondered why he came. He smiled when he saw her, but frowned when he noticed she was with Simon. The guys were surprised to see him (and Fe was suspicious), but were amiable when she invited Patrick to join them. Soon the five of them were laughing and drinking. Patrick alternated between making fun of the bull riders and urging her to go out on the dance floor. When Sabrina got sick of his egging, she told him she would go, but only if he went with her. When he jumped up and said "Come on little lady!" in a bad cowboy accent, Sabrina knew he was at least two sheets to the wind but figured there was no harm in trying it out.

Patrick was happy. When his shift at GH was done, he called Robin and told her that he had a stop to make on the way home and that she would need to take care of Em's. Before she could ask questions or object, he hung up. She was Emma's mother, so it was about time she acted like it. When he got to the honkey tonk, he wondered what on earth possessed him to do this until he saw Sabrina's smile. On the way over to her, he noticed Fe, Lucas and Simon. Simon's presence initially put him off, but when he noticed the Aussie checking out the chicks riding the bull, he realized that he and Sabrina must really only be friends. Patrick didn't want to assess the level of relief he felt at that, so he decided to drink and let loose. He could tell Sabrina was having fun, but she clearly wanted to dance. Since she could never back down from a challenge, he dared her. When she refused to go without him, he pony'd up.

They attempted to follow the dances for a few songs, but came up woefully short. However, her laughter at messing up was literally music to his ears. When a slow song came on, she turned to go back to the table, but he grabbed her and pulled her close to dance. Though Sabrina initially resisted, he felt her melt against him after a few seconds and they danced as one. God, how he missed this.

Sabrina was having fun. Genuine fun for the first time since Gabriel died. She attempted to dance and failed miserably, but she didn't care. When the slow song came on, she tried to leave, but Patrick pulled her back. Sabrina tried to resist his pull, but she couldn't and she quickly dropped her defenses. Dancing with him, as one, was amazing. God, how she'd missed this.

One slow song became two. Two became three. Neither Patrick nor Sabrina made any effort to move from the dancefloor, though they did manage to circle to a nearby dim corner. When the last song ended, Sabrina was sandwiched between Patrick and the wall. "Patrick?" she whispered almost soundlessly.

As the dancers resumed their lively but confusing steps, Patrick paid them no heed. He was lost in Sabrina. Feeling her body flush against his was like being home. When she looked up at him he could see the lingering love in her eyes. She'd never asked for any of this, but she'd accepted his decision to go back to Robin because she loved him more than she loved herself. His happiness trumped hers. She always put him and Emma first no matter what it cost her. Overwhelmed by emotion, Patrick allowed all of his love for her to show in his eyes - right before he gave in to the inevitable and kissed her.


	10. Chapter 10

Fe and Lucas had been having a grand time watching (and making fun of) the bull riders who feel, so they lost track of Sabrina and Patrick. When Simon returned from the bar, where he'd gotten the trifecta of phone numbers (blonde, brunette and ginger!), he asked where Bree was. When Fe replied that she was probably taking care of unfinished business and would be back shortly, Simon got the hint. He figured it was about damn time the two of them hashed things out and got the closure Sabrina needed.

As Patrick and Sabrina, alone in the darkened corner of the dancefloor, practically inhaled each other alive, "closure" was the last thing on either of their minds. Rationally, they knew what they were doing was "wrong" because Patrick was married, but neither one really cared. Before they knew it, they were in his car on the way to the Metro Court, which was only a short drive away.

Patrick may have been two sheets to the wind earlier, but he was perfectly sober when he drove Sabrina to the hotel. Luckily, no one they knew was in the lobby when he walked her to the elevator and entered with her. However, he kept a respectable distance away from her until they were through the door of her suite, which he was happy to learn had two double beds rather than one king size.

Sabrina was drunk enough to know that she wanted one last night with the man she loved, but not so drunk as to want him to jeopardize his marriage over it and bury himself in a sea of regret and self-hatred for betraying his vows. So, she stepped into the suite and halted him just inside the door. "Patrick, please don't take another step unless you're sure this is what you want. If you aren't sure or if you will regret this tomorrow, please say goodnight now and leave me in peace."

Wordlessly, Patrick entered the room and closed and locked the door behind him. "Sabrina, I want this… I want you. You've been all I can think about since I found out from Fe that you were coming back." He walked over to her and grabbed her hands between his. "I missed you so much, Sabrina."

"I've missed you too, Patrick. More than anything and for so long."

Suddenly, Patrick scooped her up and carried her to the bed. When she was on the bed, he laid down on top of her and kissed her senseless. Loathe to be away from her for even a second, but desperate to be next to her with no barriers, Patrick pulled himself away from her long enough to take off his shirt and remove her cowboy boots (leave it to Sabrina to buy cowboy boots just to go to the honkey tonk!). He peeled away her skinny jeans while Sabina tossed her shirt aside. With a seductive smile she beckoned him home. When he was close enough, Sabrina reached out and grabbed his belt buckle, loosened it and slid his jeans off his hips.

Skin-to-skin, finally, Patrick and Sabrina lost themselves in each other, using their bodies to convey the feelings they had kept bottled up since their busted wedding months ago. Confusion. Pain. Fear. Longing. Regret. Love. Joy. It was bliss.

Afterward, they laid together, sated, on the bed tangled up in the sheets and each other. Sabrina looked over at Patrick and said "I love you." not because she expected to hear it back, but because she wanted him to know she still did, even after all this time and all the pain.

Surprisingly, Patrick reached out and cupped her cheek. "I love you, too. I never stopped, Sabrina." When she tried to look away to gain her composure, he grabbed her chin to hold it in place. "Never."

They kissed once more, tenderly, and then fell asleep. A blessedly dreamless, peaceful sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Sabrina awoke the next morning well-rested despite not getting more than maybe two hours sleep thanks to her and Patrick's nocturnal activities. Oh, God, Patrick! She stole a glance at him laying next to her fast asleep and winced. Covering her face with her hands and groaning, she mentally chastised herself for sleeping with a married man. What had she done? In the harsh light of day, their tryst didn't seem like the best idea - no matter how good it had felt to finally be back in his arms.

Sabrina quietly got out of bed and padded to the bathroom. Hot showers always helped her think. She turned on the water and got in the spacious tile stall (that she swore was big enough for three or four people), hoping that the answer of what to do now would come to her.

* * *

Patrick stirred and felt for Sabrina next to him, but she was gone. He heard muffled sounds coming from the bathroom, so he took a moment to think about everything that transpired last night. Although he willingly cheated on Robin, the last thing he felt was guilt. Instead, he felt freer, more peaceful and happier than he had, well, since before his and Sabrina's wedding. Making love to Sabrina again had been everything he knew it would be and he refused to regret a single moment of it. Patrick noticed it was later than he had planned to leave, so he checked his phone and saw five missed calls from Robin, who, he figured was probably pretty pissed by now. He played her voicemails:

VM1 8:30PM: "Patrick, it's me. Where are you, it's late?"

VM2 10PM: "Patrick, I'm getting a little worried. Where are you? Why aren't you answering your phone? When will you be home?"

VM3 11:20PM: "Patrick. I called the hospital, but they said you weren't called in. Where the hell are you? Call me as soon as you get this." (Patrick could tell Robin was getting agitated.)

VM4 12:30PM: "Patrick. I don't know where you are or what you're doing, but I'm going to bed. Please call me when you get this so I know you're OK. I guess I'll talk to you in the morning."

VM5 6AM: "Look, Patrick, I know you're pissed at me, but it's no reason to stay out all night without a word. Call me ASAP or, better yet, come home so we can talk. This isn't like you." (Robin sighed and hung up.)

Patrick deleted each voicemail after listening to it. Robin can go away for half a year to parts unknown with him having no way to contact her, yet she flips out if he is incommunicado for a few hours? He honestly just didn't get her double-standard. Patrick would deal with is wife later. Right now, he had other priorities.

* * *

Sabrina let the hot, almost scalding, water pound her body. She'd been in the shower for at least five minutes, but was no closer to an answer about what to do about Patrick than she was when she woke up. Last night was wonderful. For those few hours in Patrick's arms again, she felt loved, safe and complete in a way she hadn't felt in ages. None of the pain mattered or plagued her. But, she knew that it was too good to be true. Patrick was married and loved his wife, so nothing could come of their rendezvous. This was closure and she would say goodbye. Then, she would get through the rest of this visit and return back to the serenity of Puerto Rico.

Sabrina was just finishing washing up when she heard the bathroom door open, which was weird because she could have sworn she'd locked it (out of habit). Suddenly, the curtain opened and Patrick was standing there, naked, looking like he wanted to devour her alive. "Patrick!" she squeaked, "How did you get in here?"

At her question, Patrick held up one of the bobby pins she had in her hair last night and said with a smirk, "I'm a man of many talents."

When he entered the stall and closed the curtain, Sabrina sighed, "This can't be a good idea…"

* * *

After deleting Robin's voicemails and chucking his phone onto the bedside table, Patrick looked around at the room, which was in complete disarray. Remembering the wonderful ways it got that way, he smiled involuntarily and was struck with an idea - ironically inspired by Robin.

Patrick picked the lock on the bathroom door. (Really, hotel locks sucked. Emma could have picked that in half the time it took him.) As usual, the bathroom was full of steam thanks to Sabrina and her scalding showers. She generally took hot showers everyday, but when the room was this fogged up, it meant that she was taking a "thinking shower" and he knew that if she was taking a "thinking shower" this morning, it probably meant that she was regretting last night and beating herself up for no reason.

When he quietly opened the curtain to the giant shower stall (for which he made a mental note to send Carly and Jax flowers), he saw Sabrina in all her glory. He'd never really forgotten how amazing her body was, but his memories didn't compare to the real thing, so he drank in the sight of her. Suddenly, she looked up and squeaked his name in surprise, asking how he got in.

Patrick gleefully held up the bobby pin he had removed from her hair the night before and smirked. After lightening the mood with his "many talents" comment, he stepped in the shower and closed the curtain.

"This can't be a good idea…" Sabrina whispered on a sigh as he came closer.

"On that, beautiful, I definitely disagree," Patrick murmured as he gently grabbed her and pulled her against him, letting her know how much he wanted her.

After that, no words were spoken. There were just kisses and caresses and need as the hot water sluiced over their bodies.


	12. Chapter 12

Felix wondered why Sabrina was late for their breakfast meeting. She had a last minute fitting today for her maid of honor dress and then had promised to help with final preparations for the ceremony tomorrow. Figuring she probably just slept in after their late night last night, Felix charmed an extra key from Carly, knowing Sabrina wouldn't mind. He'd wake her up, get her butt in a gear and they would be no worse for wear.

Felix slid the key into Sabrina's lock and opened the door. He stood, shocked, at the mess. There were only two things that could cause a mess like like this in a room: ransacking or extremely entertaining sex. Felix could tell Sabrina and the Aussie were friends-with-benefits, so he wasn't shocked and assumed the latter. When he heard the water running in the bathroom, Felix walked over to the door.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty, get your butt in gear, girl! I know your "friend" is probably way more entertaining than I am, but we have a schedule!"

He heard a muffled "Oh, my God!" and then Sabrina shouted "FELIX?! What are you doing in my room?!"

Felix walked to the closed bathroom door and said, "We had a breakfast meeting 45 minutes ago, Bree. I was worried."

"Um, well, can you wait for me in the lobby? I'll be down in a few minutes."

Felix could hear scrambling inside the bathroom. "Look, honey, Simon ain't got nothing I haven't seen. Get decent and get your butt out here, ASAP. I'm not going anywhere."

More muffled conversation. Then, the bathroom door opened and Sabrina came out, blushing, in one of the hotel bathrobes. She shooed Felix away as far away from the door as possible and said, "Please, Fe, can you wait for me downstairs? I promise that I'll be down in 10 minutes."

At her desperate look, Fe agreed. "Alright, fine. I'll go. But if you aren't down in ten minutes, I'll be back and it won't be pretty."

Sabrina visibly relaxed at his agreement. "Thanks, Felix. I owe you one."

Sabrina was ushering Felix to the door (awfully fast, in his estimation), when the bathroom door opened and Patrick (Wait. Patrick?!) stepped out clad in the other bathrobe and said nonchalantly. "Yeah, Felix. Thanks."

Felix halted in his tracks. Patrick looked satisfied and Sabrina looked guilty in a room that looked like a tornado ran through it.

Felix calmly said. "Bree, that's not Simon."

Sabrina swallowed, clearly thinking of something to say when Patrick snarked, "Good of you to notice, Felix. Now, would you mind leaving us alone?"

Felix glared at Patrick with a look that said, "I'll deal with you later." Then, he turned back to Sabrina and whispered, "What happened, Bree? What did you do?"

She pulled Felix into a hug and said quietly, "I made a terrible mistake, but, please, Felix, go and I promise we'll discuss this later."

Felix released Sabrina and opened the door. "I'll see you downstairs in ten minutes," he said in a voice that broke no arguments.

When the door closed behind Felix, Sabrina banged her head against it in frustration. When she heard Patrick say, "Well, that was awkward." she turned around and faced him. "Ya think?" she asked sarcastically, as he stepped back a little afraid of the look on her face.


	13. Chapter 13

_Earlier.._

Felix was going to die. Slowly and painfully. It wasn't going to be pretty. Patrick would make sure of it as soon as he got his hands on him. It took two seconds for that buttinsky to annihilate all the progress Patrick had made with Sabrina since entering the shower.

It had taken Patrick some time and several seldom used tools in his romantic arsenal to get Sabrina to stop thinking (primarily blaming and chastising herself for sleeping with him last night) and just feel their lovemaking. Once she gave herself over to the power of their attraction, what had started out as tender became frantic, lustful and intoxicating in a way it never had before. While last night had been about rediscovery, this morning was about the need to connect as if their lives depended on it. It amused Patrick how little others really knew of the intensely passionate - and loud - spitfire who lurked just below her goody-two-shoes 'sparkle pony' exterior, but he was more than happy to reap the rewards of their ignorance.

They had just finished leisurely drying each other off when he'd (rather skillfully) managed to pin her up against the marble vanity for a helluva makeout session. Aroused and well on their way to what would have been an extremely satisfying Round Two, they were halted in their tracks by the sound of Felix's voice calling for Sabrina. Frozen mid-caress, her "Oh my God!" escaped the same time as his "Dammit to hell!"

Afraid Fe would recognize his voice, she covered his mouth with her hand and asked Fe what he was doing in her room. When Fe mentioned their breakfast meeting, Sabrina panicked and pushed Patrick away. Sabrina tried to put Felix off, offering to meet him in the lobby, but the guy just blathered on, assuming Simon was the man in the bathroom. Sabrina scrambled off the vanity and attempted to put herself to rights after Fe's directive to get her butt out there and talk to him. Sabrina covered herself in one of the two hotel bathrobes, gave Patrick a look that commanded him to stay and left.

Patrick could hear Sabrina trying to dissuade Felix from asking too many questions and ushering him toward the door. It was then that Patrick had another of his epiphanies: Sabrina was fine letting Felix think that Simon was the man in the bathroom because she was ashamed of what they had done and blamed herself for being too weak to resist what Patrick knew had simply been inevitable. Patrick decided there was no way in hell he was going to stay in the bathroom cowering like a terrible little secret. He wasn't ashamed of his feelings for her or of their perfect night together and he would be damned if he allowed Sabrina to be. So, he put on the remaining bathrobe, opened the door and confidently walked out.

Patrick got a perverse satisfaction in seeing Felix' shocked face at seeing him and not Simon, but was sorry for causing Sabrina embarrassment at being caught with her former, but married, fiance. At Felix' "that's not Simon" comment, Patrick bristled, so he called on his arrogant self to essentially say, "Damn right! Now get the hell out!" as tastefully as possible. He couldn't hear what Sabrina said to Felix when they hugged, but when she banged her head on the door in frustration after he left, Patrick had a feeling the fireworks were just getting started.

_The present…_

"Well, that was awkward," Patrick said in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Sabrina was having none of it. She'd had the loveliest night and morning with Patrick, but she knew deep down that it was just a dream and that reality (which happened to be in the form of Felix) would come crashing down and ruin everything. She'd hated lying to her best friend by letting him believe she'd spent the night with Simon, but she didn't want Felix to know that she'd caved and given in to her most forbidden desire despite how shameful it was. Sabrina hoped that Patrick would take the "out" Felix gave them for what it was worth, but, of course, he couldn't - or wouldn't. What did he have to gain by flaunting their indescretion to the one person in Port Charles completely unable to keep a secret? They would be found out and she would be labeled a homewrecking whore and publicly humiliated while he went back to his precious Robin with his tail between his legs. It was one thing to screw the guy while he thought his wife was dead, but it was another to knowingly and willingly (oh-so-willingly) cheat with him. So, when he made his offhanded comment, Sabrina wasn't in the mood and her rarely seen sarcastic self came out with a "Ya think?" She wanted to add "dumbass" but decided against it - for now.

"How could you, Patrick?" she asked, agitated. "Why couldn't you just let him believe it was Simon who made me late? You know he can't keep a secret worth a damn."

"Because I couldn't. That's why." Patrick replied, just as agitated.

"Why the hell not?" she asked as she began pacing.

"For one, I'm NOT Simon. I'll be damned if I will let Felix or anyone else think this…" he paused as he pointed to the disarray in the room, "was the result of you and him together."

"Huh? That's ridiculous. I mean, it's not like we haven't slept together before…" When she spied the look of jealous rage on Patrick's face, Sabrina added, "or won't again…" with a shrug.

Patrick reeled back as if he'd been slapped. "How often?"

"How often what?"

"How often have you slept together, Sabrina? How many times has he had his hands on your body?"

At that, Sabrina went from agitated to furious. "What concern is it of yours, Patrick? We're over. We have been since Christmas. You have no claim over my body or who get's to touch it!"

"Because I can't stand it, Sabrina. The thought of Simon with you in that way.. it makes me ill."

"Well, tough. You'll just have to pull up your big boy panties and deal with it." She stalked over to him, looked him dead in the eye and asked, "Do you think it was easy for me knowing that probably twenty minutes after you left my apartment on Christmas Eve you were 'reuniting' with Robin? That it didn't make me ill seeing you with her everyday, touching and kissing her while I was left out in the cold? Well, guess what, I had to deal with it. I didn't have a choice...and now neither do you." Sabrina poked him in the chest, hard, and added, "so suck it up, buttercup!"

Sabrina went to walk away to calm down, but Patrick grabbed her shoulders before she could. Breathing heavily, they stood there staring at each other and each refusing to back down. Then, Patrick pulled Sabrina against him just as she yanked on the lapels of his robe to bring him toward her. Their kiss was unlike any other they had ever had. It was primal and claiming, full of pent-up rage and pain that needed release. However, when Sabrina yanked open his robe and began pushing it off his shoulders while Patrick pulled her backward toward the bed, they both came to their senses and split apart.

Once she'd calmed down, as far away from Patrick as possible, Sabrina asked "Earlier you said 'for one'. What did you mean by that?"

She could tell Patrick was struggling to regain his composure when he simply asked, "Huh?"

"Other than figuratively peeing on me, why did you come outside?"

Smiling (probably at her pee comment), Patrick said, "Because I'm not ashamed of what happened here last night and I can tell that you are - even though you shouldn't be."

"Why not? It's how I feel."

"Because, beautiful, it was inevitable. If it hadn't happened last night, it would have at some point." Then, he looked at her, letting his love show, and added, "Plus, it was wonderful. And I'm glad it happened."

Sabrina smiled despite herself. "Yeah, it was wonderful and I'm glad it happened, too." But, when she added, "We needed the closure, so I guess it was inevitable," Patrick looked up confusedly and said, "Closure?"

"Yeah. A chance to deal with everything that's happened since the wedding and _finally_ be able to move on." Sabrina took a deep breath and then added, "Because I need to move on, Patrick. I can't live like this anymore. Even being thousands of miles away doesn't help. You're in my blood and I need to get you out...for my own sanity."

"Did you ever think that we're in each other's blood because that's how it is supposed to be?" Tentatively, Patrick added, "That splitting up was a mistake - my mistake."

"No, Patrick, I don't." Sabrina said sadly. "Don't you see? Robin was always there. Even dead. I competed with a ghost during our entire relationship - and I always came up short. Eventually, it would have torn us apart." Now crying, she added, "You HAD to choose Robin. You could never have lived with yourself otherwise."

"Sabrina…" Patrick pleaded with silent tears also streaming down his face.

She held up a hand, "No, please let me finish. I gave you 100%, but you never gave that to me. You only gave me the part of your heart that was left. Robin had the rest and she always will. All I have ever wanted is for you to be happy and I know that your true happiness is with Robin, not me. I accept that. And now that I've had the chance to say goodbye, really say goodbye to what we could have had together, I can move forward - without you."

"But…" Patrick whispered as he reached for her.

Sabrina backed away from him and then turned toward the bathroom. "It's been over ten minutes, so I'm guessing Felix is on his way back up. If you don't want to run into him again, I suggest you get dressed and leave. I'm thinking you have a lot to discuss with your wife."

"So, what, that's it? You're going to kick me out of your room and your life and I don't get a say?"

"No, Patrick. You don't. Not this time. Please don't be here when I come out."

Sabrina stood against the bathroom door, crushed, as she heard Patrick gathering his clothes and getting dressed. She didn't relax until she heard the outside door slam - hard. Then, she sank to the floor and cried her eyes out. Why did doing the right thing always hurt so much?


	14. Chapter 14

Felix deliberately waited until he saw Patrick leave before he let himself back inside Sabrina's room. The second he saw Patrick, he knew that Sabrina wouldn't be downstairs anytime soon. Either the two of them would end up going at it like bunnies - again - the way they did last summer OR Sabrina would end up crushed. When he saw Patrick's face as he left the hotel, Felix knew that the latter had happened.

When he found Sabrina crying her eyes out on the bathroom floor, Felix was crushed for her. Clearly whatever went down between her and Patrick had been BAD. So, he held his best friend and let her cry, fittings and wedding plans be damned.

* * *

Robin waited for Patrick to return. It had taken all of her acting abilility to pretend everything was fine in front of Emma, but now that Emma had gone to school, she let her emotions out. It wasn't like Patrick to be out all night with nary a word to her about his whereabouts. The fact that he hadn't been called into the hospital combined with his vagueness about where he was going when he told her she needed to take care of Emma had told her everything she needed to know – even though she didn't want to admit it to herself.

When Patrick walked through the front door, Robin knew where he had been all night and with whom. He didn't notice her sitting by the fireplace right away, so she was able to observe him as he put his wallet and keys on the end table with a distinct thud that let her know he was pissed off. Her guess was that whatever had happened last night with Sabrina (because where else would he have been?) hadn't ended well. She almost felt sorry for him, almost, until her anger at being ignored surged to the forefront.

She forced herself to look nonchalant and then said, "So, you're night with Sabrina didn't go well?"

At her comment, Patrick, who had been on the way to the kitchen, halted. Clearly, he'd been surprised at Robin's astuteness in figuring out where he had been, but when he looked at her as he said, "No, it didn't," Robin saw no guilt in his eyes. Patrick had betrayed her; but, she realized that this time there would be no remorse or pleas for her forgiveness.

Patrick was still reeling over his conversation with Sabrina when he returned home. He hadn't expected her to dismiss him like that and it had been more painful than he was prepared to admit. Sabrina was everything he remembered and more and he missed her. The thought of her moving on with her life, without him in it was paralyzing. Even though he knew that when he chose Robin and resumed his life as "normal", he was setting her free, he never allowed himself to think about what it really meant.

Patrick put his keys and wallet on the table and moved toward the kitchen to get some coffee so that he could continue to think things through before going to work, when he was stopped by Robin's comment. He should have known she would figure it out considering he was out all night and hadn't been called into the hospital. When he'd cheated on her with Lisa, he'd felt awful and begged Robin to forgive him because he couldn't live without her. This time, however, he didn't feel bad about what he'd done and he knew that he wouldn't be begging her for anything, so he simply said, "No, it didn't."

"I would say I'm sorry, Patrick, but I'm really not."

"I don't expect you to be."

"How could you do this to me? To us?"

At that, Patrick scoffed. "This isn't about you, Robin, or about 'us'. As far as I'm concerned, there hasn't been an 'us' since you refused to come home and help me through Gabriel's crisis. This was about me and Sabrina."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"We had some things to resolve in _our_ relationship. We went through a lot together while you were gone and, frankly, it was bound to happen."

"So, I'm supposed to be OK with this because it was fate?"

"Honestly, Robin, you can be OK with it or not. I really don't care. You made the choice to leave to save Jason even though I wasn't OK with it. I had to live with your decision, so you will just have to live with mine."

"And if I can't?"

"Then, that's your decision. Either you want this marriage or you don't, but I'm not going to grovel to save it this time. There are enough mistake and blame to go around." Patrick looked at his watch and then said, "I have surgery. I have to change and get to the hospital. We'll have to finish this later."

Before Patrick could leave the room, Robin added, "Maybe, Patrick, we both need to think about whether or not we want this marriage because one person wanting it can't save it."


	15. Chapter 15

Sabrina cried her eyes out. She'd known that getting involved with Patrick, even for one night, would only compound her pain, but she couldn't help it because the feeling of being back in his arms again had been too tempting to pass up. She wasn't sure how they would have left things had Fe not burst in on them, but she was almost glad he did because it enabled her to get a lot off of her chest. Sabrina still loved Patrick, but it was the push she needed to finally face a future without him. He wasn't going to leave Robin, so it was best they ended things now before she fell deeper. After Sabrina had her cry, she pulled herself together and resolved to be the maid of honor Felix deserved. They attended her final fitting and checked on the last minute details for the reception before spending the rest of the day lounging at the spa and shopping.

After Felix dropped her back the hotel, she and Simon had a long talk about everything that had happened overnight. The truth was that they had only been together a few times before realizing they were much better suited as friends. Contrary to what she told Patrick, it was unlikely they would be together ever again. However, Simon agreed to continue the charade for the rest of the trip to help keep Patrick away from her. Simon told her, then, that he decided to stop in Illinois on his way back to Puerto Rico because he had a few loose ends to tie up. She wished him well and then dropped the bombshell that she was cutting her trip short. She would be leaving Port Charles tonight after the reception. Sabrina wasn't running away. She was simply leaving the past behind - as soon as possible.

Patrick thought about Robin's parting comment. They couldn't save their marriage if they both weren't completely committed. Before Sabrina had returned, Patrick wouldn't have thought twice about trying to repair things. He was angry, sure, but he loved his wife and would have found a way to get over it for Emma's sake. However, seeing Sabrina brought a lot of emotions he'd suppressed back to the surface. The anger he'd worked to reign in was bubbling up and threatened to explode. The fact that Robin would do it all again with no guilt about abandoning him and Emma in their time of need only fueled the fire. If they stayed together, would he ever be able to trust her not to drop them for someone or something else own the road? Could he live with that hanging over his head day in and day out? On top of this, he was dealing with reawakened feelings for Sabrina. God help him, but he still loved her as much now as he did on the day of their non-wedding. He knew without a doubt that Sabrina would never choose anyone or anything else over their family without an extremely compelling reason. He'd taken what they had for granted before and he was regretting it. He missed her. It sucked not being a part of her life and the thought of being relegated to a guy in a picture in the bottom of her shoebox of romantic mementos while she got married to and had babies with someone else made him sick inside.

Patrick's surgery lasted most of the day. When he got home, Emma was there, so he and Robin couldn't talk. She tried on her flower girl dress one last time before the wedding and since Felix hadn't univited him (yet) he was planning to take her. Unfortunately, when Robin caught on, she decided to tag along and wouldn't take no for an answer, despite his attempts to discourage her.


	16. Chapter 16

Sabrina packed all of her stuff the morning of the wedding so she could go straight to the airport after the reception. Felix and Lucas decided to have the wedding and reception at the hotel, so there were no logistical issues. They were getting ready in her suite when Elizabeth, Fe's other attendant, brought Emma (funny that Fe neglected to mention she was his flower girl) up. After a tearful reunion with her almost-stepdaughter, Sabrina found out that both Patrick and Robin were downstairs because they wanted to see her walk down the aisle. Although Emma was beaming with pride at this announcement, Sabrina was inwardly cringing at the thought of facing them. When she gave Fe a "thanks for making a bad situation worse" look, he responded with an "it wouldn't be bad if you hadn't jumped his bones" shrug.

Patrick had kept trying to dissuade Robin from coming, but she refused to budge. The day was important to Emma, so she would be there. When they got to the hotel, Liz took Emma upstairs and they mingled with the rest of the guests. Carly and Sam were Lucas' attendants with Danny as the ring bearer. Sam, who was there alone, thanked Robin for saving Jason. However, when Robin peppered her with questions as to why Jason wasn't with his family, Sam, clearly uncomfortable, went pale and Patrick pulled her aside to get some air.

"So, how are you?" he asked carefully.

'Why didn't you tell me, Patrick? How could you let me be blindsided like that?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you.. There was no guarantee Robin would be able to save him and I couldn't risk getting your hopes up."

"I understand." Sam, crying now, sniffed, "What do I do? I love them both. Silas and I finally got back together after the Nina fiasco and then, BAM!, there's Jason. I wasn't prepared for this…"

"I get it, Sam."

"Yeah, I guess you do."

"Ironically, I almost wish I didn't. Life would be a lot simpler now."

"What do I do, Patrick?"

"Sam, you know where you want to be deep down."

"Ahh, I see," Sam said on a reluctant smile, "You're throwing my advice back in my face now."

"Yeah" Patrick chuckled. Then, he sobered and said, "It will work out. Just be prepared to live with the consequences."

"What do you mean?"  
"Keeping one means losing the other. Make sure you can let go of the one you don't choose."

"Uh-oh"

"Yeah…"

"What are you going to do, Patrick?"

"I wish I knew."


	17. Chapter 17

Patrick was amazed by Sabrina, who looked stunning in her gown, and he had a hard time keeping his eyes of of her up at the altar - a fact not unnoticed by Robin, Sam and Liz. He forced himself to focus on Emma, who was happy as a clam to be holding Sabrina's hand, but it was difficult.

Sabrina swore she was blushing. She tried every trick in the book she could think of to distract herself from Patrick's stare and forced herself to look at anyone and anything besides him because then everyone, including his wife, would see just how mutual their attraction still was and she didn't want that happening.

During the reception, Sabrina sat with Simon and they, per their plan, acted as if they were lovers in hopes of covering for her lingering feelings for Patrick. The few times she did glance at Patrick, she noticed him staring back, unhappily, at her and her companion. When she mingled with the guests, she kept Simon by her side. As the night wore down, Sabrina knew that every time she said goodbye to someone, it would be the last. So, she lingered with Liz and Carly a little longer than she normally would have. When it was time for Emma to leave, Sabrina told Emma to be good for her daddy and that she would always love her. When Patrick and Robin came to collect Emma, the two women simply said goodnight because anything else would have caused a scene, as Sabrina figured out from the tension between the two that Robin knew and wasn't happy about what had happened last night. Patrick pulled Sabrina into a hug that seemed innocent to everyone else in the room, but held a lot of emotion. After Patrick left, Sabrina sadly whispered "Goodbye."

The entire drive home, Patrick felt like something was off with Sabrina, but he couldn't place it. It was almost as if their hug was a final goodbye, but that was silly since she would be in town a day or two yet. When Robin put Emma to bed, he tried calling Sabrina's cell phone, but she didn't answer. Thinking she might have left her phone in her room, he quickly called the suite hoping to set a time to talk about everything before she left again. When Simon answered, however, he told Patrick she was gone.

"Gone?"  
"Yeah, Patrick, gone."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's at the airport. Her flight leaves in three hours."

"She's leaving tonight?"  
"Yeah."

"Why aren't you with her?"

"We aren't together, Patrick. I have a stop to make before I go back to Puerto Rico, so she went without me."

Patrick thanked Simon and left a note for Robin letting her know he'd be back shortly. If he hurried, he knew he could catch her before she went through security.

Sabrina was annoyed. First she had to stand in a surprisingly long line for ticketing and then the conveyor belt that transported the checked luggage broke, so she had to wait to check her bag until it was fixed. Afraid she would miss her flight if security was a mess, Sabrina was running up the stairs to get in line (because the escalator had to be down for maintenance tonight of all nights!) while carrying her purse and dragging her carry-on behind her. When she heard someone shout "Sabrina!" she thought she was hearing things, so she kept going. However, when she heard it again, closer, she stopped on the landing and turned around - to see Patrick staring up at her.

He'd caught her! He couldn't believe it. By the time he drove to the airport and found a parking space, he was worried she would already be through security and he'd lose his chance to talk. As Patrick saw her trying to run up the stairs while lugging a carry-on (thank God for escalator maintenance!), he shouted her name. When she didn't respond, he ran closer and called her again, loud enough to wake the dead.

"Patrick!?"

"I couldn't let you leave without seeing you" he said as he reached her on the landing. "Please don't go."

"What?"

"I said 'don't go'. Stay."

Sabrina had seen this on TV, but never believed it would happen to her in real life. Here was Patrick, the man she loved since she laid eyes on, begging her not to leave. It was a dream. It had to be.

"Please don't leave tonight, Sabrina. Last night wasn't closure for me. Stay. Give me - us - time to figure out if we still have something here."

Confused, Sabrina asked, "Are you telling me that you left Robin?"

He looked down, "No, I haven't. Not yet."

Sabrina sighed. "Then I'm not sure what you want from me, Patrick. I won't be your mistress and there is no guarantee you'll want me for your wife. I can't do this again - wait around for you only to get my heart broken. Please….just let me go."

Patrick grabbed her shoulders and said, "I can't, Sabrina. I tried, but I can't get you out of my system anymore than you can me. Please….Stay."

Sabrina cupped his cheek with her one free hand as tears rolled down her face. "I can't, Patrick, but thank you for asking." When he opened his mouth to say something, she shushed him and continued, "Go back to Robin. Forgive her. Be the family you were meant to be this whole time. Let me go."

Sabrina dropped her hand, pulled out of his grasp, and turned to finish going up the stairs to security when Patrick, now crying too, begged, "But, I love you."

Moved by his words, but resolved, Sabrina looked over her shoulder and said, "I love you, too." as she walked up the stairs.


	18. Chapter 18

_Three months later…_

Patrick was changing from his scrubs after a long, difficult surgery when his cell phone rang. He looked at the number and saw it was the call he'd been waiting for, finally, so he answered quickly.

"Patrick Drake"

Patrick listened to the person on the other end of the line and couldn't believe what he was hearing. He managed to get an "OK, thanks." out before he sank to the bench in disbelief. Could this really be happening?

* * *

It was Christmas Eve. Sabrina was sitting on the beach just before sunset playing with Dash, the puppy she'd adopted shortly after returning from Port Charles. She'd read on the internet about a girl in Wisconsin who was killed in a hit and run because she chased after her puppy when he jumped out the window of her parked car. Sabrina felt awful for the family, but also for the puppy, who'd been returned to the pound because he was a reminder of the pain. Sabrina fell instantly in love with Dash, so she flew to Genoa CIty for a weekend to adopt him. It wasn't his fault some heartless person didn't have the decency to take responsibility for killing an innocent child. He deserved to be loved and she had plenty to go around.

Sabrina had been touched that Patrick followed her to the airport to stop her from leaving, but, it wasn't enough. If they loved each other but couldn't be together, what was the point? She just couldn't put her life on hold in the hopes that he would choose her when the odds were stacked so far in Robin's favor. Not again. So, she'd gotten on the plane and never looked back. Her visit to Port Charles had been the closure she needed to move on with her life. When she came back to Puerto Rico, she consciously dealt with the pain of losing Patrick and then her precious Gabriel. With counseling, she was making great progress. She went back to the NICU at her mom's old hospital and was still in grad school. She'd even went on a few dates with some nice guys she'd met. Sabrina loved Patrick. She always would. But, it was time to move on.

She still spoke often to Felix and Lucas, who were doing great, as well as Elizabeth and, ironically, Britt. Who would have thought that her worst enemy could be one of her best friends? After their shared delivery experiences, as well as losses, they found they had more in common than they realized. Sabrina sent postcards to Emma off and on as well and her day brightened immensely when she received letters back. Simon had actually never returned from Oakdale. He'd apparently found what he was looking for there and she was happy for him.

"Dash! Come on boy. Let's go home!" Sabrina said as she called after her pup. When he reached her feet, she scooped him up. They usually watched the sunset together like this, with him tucked safely in her arms. She was supposed to be at a Christmas party soon, so she turned to go back to her condo to shower and change when she received the shock of her life.

"Patrick?" she gasped. "What on earth are you doing here?"


	19. Chapter 19

Patrick worked like hell over the last few days to make arrangements to surprise Sabrina in Puerto Rico on Christmas Eve. After a few hiccups, he'd found her on the beach near her condo with a puppy he'd never seen. Silhouetted against the sunset, she took his breath away. When she'd turned around, snuggling the puppy protectively the way she'd snuggled Gabriel the day he died, Sabrina seemed genuinely happy, which made him happy.

He knew she would be shocked to see him and he, in fact, counted on it. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd visit." Then, he pulled out a small box and held it toward her. "I wanted to make sure you got your Christmas present."

When Sabrina and Dash reached him, she confusedly asked, "Christmas present? What is it?"

"Well, why don't you open it and see? I can take the puppy if you want."

She hesitated briefly, but then exchanged the puppy for the box. Immediately, the puppy started licking his face with slobbery kisses. Sabrina said, "Dash must like you." with a smile before turning her attention to the box.

Carefully, Sabrina ripped open the paper. Inside was a small square jewelry box. When she opened it, her eyes got wide and she looked at him questioningly.

* * *

Chuckling at the sight of Dash licking Patrick's face off, Sabrina opened the present. After carefully tearing the paper off, she noticed the gift was a jewelry box. Not sure why he would be getting her jewelry, she opened it tentatively. Inside were her engagement and wedding rings. Confused, she looked at Patrick for an explanation. "Patrick, why are you giving me these?"

"Because they are yours and they belong on your finger." he said matter-of-factly.

Sabrina shook her head. "No, Patrick, they don't. Not anymore."

At that, Patrick pulled out an envelope, also tied with a bow. Sabrina untied the bow, pulled out the letter and read the contents. The header was from the local court's Register of Wills and the text read:

Dear Counsel: We regret to inform you that we cannot process the enclosed Petition for Dissolution of Marriage for Dr. Patrick Drake and Dr. Robin Scorpio-Drake that was recently filed with our office The marriage was terminated due to the death of Mrs. Drake in February 2012. Although Mrs. Drake's death certificate was later learned to be issued in error, the termination of the marriage was never legally reversed. Thus, the Marriage License dated November 27, 2013, for Dr. Drake and Ms. Sabrina Santiago that was subsequently filed with and recorded by this office is currently in full legal effect. Please contact our office with any questions or concerns. Thank you.

Sabrina gasped in shock, "Is this for real?"

"Yeah, it's real. I had both Diane, my lawyer, and Alexis, Robin's lawyer, confirm the results. Apparently, no one realized that our marriage was valid and would have needed to be annulled or dissolved in order for Robin and I to pick up where we left off."

"But, we never finished the ceremony..."

"Sabrina, we signed the license before the ceremony, remember? It was right after our conversation about the lab."

"Oh, God! Felix must have packed it up with my things. If it was in the envelope, it must have gotten mailed by mistake. I'm so sorry, Patrick. I didn't know. I just assumed your marriage to Robin was still legal."

"Don't be sorry, Sabrina. I'm not. I'm not here to ask you for a divorce. I'm here to ask you to put your rings back on and come home with me."

"But, you renewed your vows with Robin. You're wearing her ring." Sabrina said, pointing to his hand.

"No, Sabrina, I'm not. I'm wearing yours."


	20. Chapter 20

Patrick held his left hand out so that Sabrina could see the ring he had on was the one that matched hers.

Patrick had tried his best to do what Sabrina told him. After he left the airport, despondent, he took her advice to heart and tried to forgive Robin and make things work. Unfortunately, the harder they tried to be together, the worse it got. Patrick and Emma were so used to being alone that having Robin around was strange and sometimes even annoying. Robin, on the other hand, felt like a stranger in her own family. While she was able to reconnect with Emma after about a month, their marriage remained in shambles. He loved her, but it wasn't like before. He had a hard time letting go of his anger of her abandonment and found himself constantly thinking about Sabrina and comparing her and Robin - with Robin always coming up short. Robin actually couldn't get past his night with Sabrina. Although they'd made love a few times, desperate to find the spark they once had, she would always freak out afterward, unable to get the picture of him and Sabrina in the hotel out of her mind. After the second month with no progress, they had a long talk and decided to face the writing on the wall. Patrick filed for divorce the next day.

Even though he'd filed for divorce, Patrick initially decided not to go after Sabrina. He wanted to make sure that he could give her everything she deserved, which meant that he had to be over Robin 100% before he even entertained the idea of tracking Sabrina down and disrupting the life she'd built in Puerto Rico. However, when the call came in from Diane letting him know that he'd actually been married to Sabrina the whole time, he took it as a sign and arranged to fly down to Puerto Rico and win her back immediately, come hell or high water. Emma was actually in Paris with Robin on holiday, so he took the first flight out.

"Oh, gosh," she exclaimed. "It really is mine?"

"Yes, Sabrina. We're still married and I want to make it work. I've tried, but I can't get you out of my mind or my heart. I want another chance."

While he could tell Sabrina was happy, he also saw disbelief and fear creep into her expression. She didn't trust him and he supposed that he couldn't blame her.

"You and Robin are over?"

"Yes. Definitely. I moved out of the house when we decided to get a divorce. She is living there with Emma."

"But, where are you living?"

"Right now, I'm crashing at the Metro Court; but, I was hoping that we could buy a house and live there together. It can be in Port Charles or it can be here. I just want to be with you."

"But, what about Emma? You can't be apart from her."

"I admit that Port Charles would be better, but if you want to stay here, we will. Emma can visit over summer and holidays and I can fly back and forth to see her in between Skyping."

"You would do that for me?" she asked surprised.

"Yes. I want to be with you and I'm willing to do it on your terms, Sabrina. Please just give me a chance. I love you."

At his last plea, Sabrina broke out in tears. "I love you, too, Patrick, but I'm scared of everything crashing down again. I don't know if I can survive it."

"I don't know what will happen, Sabrina. But we won't know unless we try. Are you willing to take a leap of faith?"

Sabrina paused for what felt like forever and then whispered, "Yes."

At that, Patrick put Dash down and pulled Sabrina into his arms for a passionate kiss. When they were done, he took the rings out of the box and slipped them on her finger.

Afterward, Dash scampered around Patrick and Sabrina as they walked hand and hand across the beach to her condo, thankful for second chance they'd been given.


	21. Chapter 21

**EPILOGUE**

_One year later…_

On Christmas Eve, Sabrina sat on the floor by the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate, having just finished wrapping Patrick's Christmas present. As she absently petted Dash on the head while he snoozed in his puppy bed, she reflected over everything that had happened in the past year.

Sabrina looked at her rings and smiled, remembering how Patrick had chased her to Puerto Rico to win her back. She had been hesitant at first, scared of going through even more pain, but ultimately decided to take the leap. Being with Patrick and Emma was worth the risk if it meant she could finally, truly, be happy. They'd barely gotten in the door of her condo before their clothes came off. They'd ended up spending the week there for the honeymoon they'd been jipped out of while Sabrina made arrangements to sublet the apartment and pack her belongings for the move back to Port Charles. As much as Sabrina wanted to stay in Puerto Rico, she didn't want to separate Patrick and Emma; so, she agreed to move back.

After their move, Sabrina continued with her graduate studies and ended up getting a position in the NICU at GH. While it was hard to face the memories of Gabriel's passing there, she knew that helping protect other mothers against the same pain was worth it in the end. Sabrina also worked with Britt in the OB/GYN practice and rotated floors when Pip needed the coverage. However, Pip kept that to a minimum since she had a habit of inexplicably disappearing whenever Patrick was around.

Ava, thankfully, was dead. In an ironic twist of fate, Ava had gotten into a car "accident" at 32 weeks pregnant. Thanks to an unexplained mechanical failure, she lost control of the car and rolled down an embankment. The doctors at GH delivered the baby, which turned out to be Morgan's, via a C-section. Ava passed shortly afterward due to her severe injuries, having never regained consciousness. Sabrina wasn't a hateful person; but, she didn't she'd a tear for that manipulating she-devil. Karma was a bitch, huh?

Jason was appalled when he found out what the Corinthos's clan had been up to since his "death". When he learned of the recording of AJ's shooting, he turned it into the police. Sonny had never been able to repair his relationship with Morgan and, when Michael turned his back on him, too, Sonny decided to leave town indefinitely. Carlos was released from prison due to the new evidence and he took over the territory in a surprising coup. Sabrina knew, deep down, that Carlos had somehow arranged for Ava's "accident". The man was loyal to a fault, but could be ruthless when betrayed. While he would have hated to cause pain to Morgan, he had no qualms about doing to Ava what she did to Sabrina. Luckily, it worked out that the car rolled in such a way as to not injure the baby, which she had a feeling was also part of Carlos' scheme.

Sabrina and Carlos remained friends, much to Patrick's chagrin, but Sabrina was done being a doormat. She could respect Patrick's position, but she wouldn't cut Carlos out of her life completely. Whenever they met, which was rare, it was never at their cottage or in the presence of Emma. Even though Carlos was seeing another woman, he still managed to press Patrick's buttons. Sabrina couldn't complain, though, because Patrick's attempts to prove Carlos wrong usually ended up working extremely well in her favor.

Shortly after their return, Robin informed Patrick that she was taking a page from Maxie's book and going on an "Eat. Pray. Love" journey of her own. So much had changed in the last two years that Robin need to find out who she was now. Patrick blew a gasket when Robin asked to take Emma with her; but, Sabrina convinced him to let Emma decide where she wanted to be and with whom. She was smart and resilient and knew her own mind. In the end, Emma chose to go with Robin because she wanted to get to know her mother the way she knew her dad. They were due back tomorrow morning and Patrick was on pins and needles over seeing his daughter again (even though they texted and Skyped practically everyday).

Sabrina was brought out of her reverie when the door to the cottage opened and Patrick walked in.

"Hey, beautiful," he said as he took off his coat.

"Hey yourself," Sabrina replied when he walked over to her and bent down to give her a kiss. "How was work?"

"All my patients were okay," Patrick said as he greeted the now fully-awake Dash. As he spied all the Christmas presents, he added, "Looks like you've been busy. Are all these for Emma?"

Sabrina looked around guiltily at all the presents and blushed, "Yeah. I guess I just love to spoil her. I miss her."

Patrick sat next to her and took Sabrina in his arms while the puppy chewed on a bone nearby, "Yeah, me too. I'm glad she's coming home tomorrow and I can't wait to see her. It's been hard without her...but I have to admit that I've enjoyed being able to make love whenever and wherever we want in the house."

When he added, "- and as loudly as we want," Sabrina lightly punched him in the stomach and scolded him with a, "Patrick!"

* * *

Patrick faked a wounded look and a grunt when Sabrina punched him for his comment about her being loud. He loved embarrassing her by talking about their (very active) sex life. Even though she was passionate with him, outside their bedroom she was still very shy. Her volume was a long-running inside joke between them.

Patrick was glad to be home from work. He had planned to spend the whole day with Sabrina, but got called in due to a major car wreck on the interstate. Thankfully, he'd been able to give the families of his patients good news for Christmas.

Since he figured Sabrina would have Em's presents covered (if last year was any indication), he only had to worry about finding something for her. He couldn't believe that it had been a year since he'd chased her in Puerto Rico. He thought for sure that she would turn him down, their suprisingly legal marriage notwithstanding. But, fortunately, she was able to put her fear at being hurt again aside and give him another chance. Patrick really would have moved to Puerto Rico, but he was glad he didn't have to leave Emma. There was no reason, however, they couldn't enjoy their time there, though. Aside from vigorously making up for lost time, he met Sabrina's family and visited all of her favorite places. He loved learning about her life before Port Charles. After they returned, they bought a cottage just outside the city. It was still close enough for Emma to go the same school, but far enough away to discourage frequent visits by their loved ones, giving them time to reconnect and build their marriage.

Learning of Ava's death gave them both peace. While Carlos never took the credit for her tragic "accident", Patrick knew he had been behind it to avenge Sabrina. He was thankful to Carlos for getting justice for his son, but frustrated that Carlos' actions only brought him and Sabrina closer. Sabrina flat out refused to sever ties with the guy, but agreed never to see him at their house or around Emma, conditions on which he wouldn't budge now that Carlos was running Sonny's territory. Carlos still managed to push all of Patrick's buttons when it came to Sabrina. He didn't know why he let the jackass get to him, but he did and Patrick always strived to prove him wrong - a fact that Sabrina thoroughly enjoyed.

Patrick was sitting quietly with Sabrina in his arms when he remembered her present. He said "Hang on a sec!" and got up, grabbed the package and gave it to her. He sat down again and said "Open it."

"Shouldn't I wait until tomorrow?"

"No, I want you to have it tonight."

At that, she smiled and reached onto the coffee table to grab his present. "Then I guess I should give you mine, too," Sabrina said as she handed it to him, "Since I didn't get you one last year."

Patrick kissed her briefly on the lips and said, "Shush. Yes you did. The best ever - you. Now, go ahead and open it."

Unlike last year, Sabrina tore into the wrapping with alacrity. When she opened the box, her eyes got big as saucers. "You got me a travel book on Italy?"

"Yeah. Open it to the page that's marked."

Smiling, Sabrina turned to the bookmarked page to see pictures and a write-up of Rome. Tucked between the pages as the bookmark were two plane tickets - to Rome.

Sabrina bounced up and down excitedly as she squealed, "Tickets to Rome? Oh, my God, Patrick! These are amazing!"

Patrick, grinning at her happiness, said, "You wanted to go, so we will. We have a lot of memories to make - together." As she hugged him, he asked, "So when do you want to go?"

At his questions, Sabrina sobered (weird) and said, "Maybe you should open mine before we decide."

"Why?" he asked curiously. "What's going on?"

"Just open it, Patrick."

He opened the small, long skinny box as Sabrina looked on expectantly and the words "Oh my God" escaped his lips before he could stop them.

"Yeah, that's what I said, too."

"Is this for real?"

"Yeah. Very. I confirmed it with Britt this morning."

"So… You're really pregnant?" Patrick asked as he looked between his wife and the positive home pregnancy test in the box she'd given him.

"Yeah. Really." Sabrina paused and then added, "Are you happy, Patrick?"

Patrick couldn't help but look at her as if she was daft. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be? This is amazing Sabrina!" He briefly kissed her and then said, "I can't wait to share this with you. I missed out on so much before…"

At that, Sabrina frowned and admitted, "I'm scared, Patrick. What if we lose him again? I don't think I could bear it."

Patrick was afraid, too. Losing Gabriel had been devastating. But, he knew in his gut that it wouldn't happen again, so he reassured Sabrina. "We won't lose him - or her, Sabrina."

"How do you know?"

"I don't, but we need to take the leap and trust that it will all work out in the end." Patrick looked into Sabrina's eyes, full of joy and worry, and leaned in to kiss her reassuringly.

When the kiss was over, they pulled apart briefly, each one thankful for having found the other again after all the confusion and pain. Then, as Sabrina pulled Patrick in for another kiss while she began unbuttoning his shirt, Patrick smiled and said mischieviously, "You know...I'm kind of glad Emma isn't getting home until tomorrow…" Sabrina chuckled in response and then, as Patrick gently maneuvered her backward onto the throw rug by the fire, she smiled seductively and whispered, "Me too... Because I plan to be loud."

**THE END :)**

_(I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! #patrinastrong)_


	22. Chapter 22

**So, I couldn't let go of Patrick and Sabrina in a post-Gabriel world. What follows are one-off epilogues I will write periodically (when the mood strikes) checking in on #Patrina after Out of the Ashes leaves off. I'm leaving the story rated M, so please read with caution. I hope you enjoy!**

THE SECOND EPILOGUE

As she followed Patrick down the hallway toward his office, Sabrina eyed him curiously. She'd stopped at GH briefly to fill out the necessary paperwork to return to work from her maternity leave while Maxie watched Emma and Ella for her. She was showing Liz and Felix pictures of the baby when Patrick, who was working, came over and said that he needed to talk to her, now, in private. "Patrick, what's going on?"

"I just need to talk to you before you go home, that's all," he said as he glanced back at her, but kept walking, practically pulling her by the hand.

"But, why couldn't we talk back at the nurses' station?"

He opened the door to his office and motioned for her to precede him in as he said, "I didn't want everyone to hear our conversation. You know how this place is."

Sabrina walked into the office and waited, "Yeah, I guess." After he had closed (and locked?) the door, she asked, "Ok. You've got me worried. What's up?"

"This," he said just before he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into him for a scorching kiss.

Surprised, but always more than willing to kiss her husband, Sabrina wrapped her arms around his neck and responded with the same passion he was showing her. Before she knew it, her butt was up against the front of his desk and she was trapped (happily) in his embrace, as his kiss moved from her mouth to the sweet spot behind her ear. "Patrick…not that I mind this… [breath] But… I really should get back to the baby…"

At her comment, Patrick pulled back and said, simply, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, Patrick" she said on a smile. "I always miss you when we're apart."

Then he leaned back down and whispered seductively in her ear, "But, I've really missed you… Do you know what today is?"

Sabrina had to think for a moment while Patrick placed featherlight kisses down her neck, but then it hit her. "Oh! " she exclaimed as she pushed him away so she could look at him. "Today's the day Britt said I was clear to resume all normal activities with no restrictions."

Patrick smirked and added, "including the nocturnal ones."

Sabrina had been so busy taking care of Ella that the days all seemed to run together; but, now that Patrick brought it up, she was really glad they were alone – in a locked office. She looked into his eyes and then pulled him down for another kiss as she said, "Who said they have to be nocturnal?"

As they kissed, both breathing heavily, Sabrina pushed his lab coat off his shoulders. After it fell to the floor, Patrick began unbuttoning her blouse while she loosened the drawstring of his scrubs to untuck his shirt and yank it over his head. "So beautiful..." he murmured as Sabrina, hands roaming over his naked torso, whispered, "Patrick..." with all her pent-up desire in her voice.

They had just pounced on each other and were scrambling to remove the rest of each other's clothes when Patrick's pager went off.

Patrick loved being a doctor. He worked hard to both establish and excel at his career. Now, he was one of the top neurosurgeons around and he relished being in demand. Unfortunately, there were times in his life when his career backfired on him. This was one of them.

"Patrick," Sabrina disappointedly said, "you need to answer that. They wouldn't page you if it weren't important."

Patrick defeatedly let his his forehead fall against Sabrina's. "I'm sorry..."

She sighed. "I know. Raincheck?"

He nodded and then reluctantly moved away from Sabrina to pull his pager out of his coat pocket on the floor. It was the ER, which meant there would be no way he could get out of or delay answering. He put his shirt back on and called to let them know he'd be up in a minute while Sabrina set herself to rights. Or tried to.

"So, do I look a mess?" Sabrina asked worriedly after she'd finished dressing. Patrick pretended to ponder the question as he looked her over. Considering that shirt was wrinkled, her hair was all over the place and she was still flushed from their exertions, he knew he couldn't lie and say she looked fine. So, he walked over to her, grabbed her hand and said, "Yeah, but you're my mess." She smiled sheepishly and Patrick let go of her hand, donned his coat and walked over to unlock the door.

Sabrina gathered her purse and went to leave, but Patrick blocked her exit. He kissed her lightly on the check and said "I'll take care of this and be home soon. I love you."

Sabrina smiled and said, "I love you, too." With a mischievous smile, she added, "be prepared to honor that raincheck when you get home."

Patrick watched her walk away, sighed in frustration and made his way to the ER.

* * *

Sabrina was still a little flustered when she arrived back at the cottage after her encounter with her husband. Patrick had texted her to let her know that he had to consult for and possibly operate on a shooting victim, so he wasn't sure when he would be home. Although Sabrina had been bothered by the interruption, she knew how important Patrick's career was to him - and how important he was to his patients, so she texted back that he should come home when he can and wished him luck.

Maxie was on the couch reading a story to Emma when Sabrina walked in the door. She thought Maxie might hold Patrick and Robin's breakup against her, but, thankfully she never did. Maxie admitted once that the old her would have probably hated Sabrina on principle, but the new her understood that life didn't always work out the way you planned. When Robin chose to leave, she put her marriage in jeopardy. Maxie loved Robin as a sister, but knew what Patrick had gone through after her "death" and how much it must have hurt him to lose her all over again - but willingly. Maxie wanted Robin and Patrick happy and if Sabrina made him happy, she was happy for him.

"Thanks again for watching the girls for me. Sorry it took so long. I got caught up at GH longer than I thought"

"No problem. I always love seeing them." When Emma ran to give Sabrina a hug, Maxie who noticed how disheveled she was added with a wink, "And I'm sure whatever you had to do was worth the delay."

Sabrina blushed and Emma, perceptive as ever, asked, "What happened? Why are you all wrinkly with messy hair? You didn't look like that when you left..."

As Maxie looked on amused, Sabrina stalled with an involuntary "Um..." Fortunately, she was saved by sound of Ella crying over the baby monitor. "Em's, why don't you say goodbye to Maxie while I check on your sister?" Sabrina nodded goodbye at Maxie as she left to go to the nursery.

Ella was awake when Sabrina got to the nursery. Since it was time for a feeding, Sabrina picked her up and took her over to the glider. As Ella nursed, Sabrina thought about how lucky she was. She had Patrick and Emma and now the most gorgeous little girl ever. While Sabrina still missed Gabriel every day, Ella helped to heal her. She had thought Patrick would be bummed about not having a son, but he hadn't been. Emma, who was ecstatic over her baby sister, had him wrapped around her little finger and now Ella did, too.

When Ella finished nursing, Sabrina put her down and spent the rest of the night with Emma. Sabrina tried reading her kindle and waiting up for Patrick, but fell asleep before he came home.

Patrick was exhausted when he came home shortly after 2 am. He'd had to operate after all and was kept at GH much later than expected when his patient developed complications while on the table. Since Patrick was bone tired, he checked on his angels, gave Sabrina a kiss on the forehead and crashed. The raincheck would have to wait.

It wasn't until after ten the next morning when Patrick finally woke up - to the smell of his favorite coffee. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and made his way downstairs, where he saw Sabrina singing to Ella while she rocked her. He watched them for a few moments, enthralled, until Sabrina noticed him. She smiled and said, "Morning, sleepyhead"

Patrick walked over and planted kisses on his angels and then said "Morning"

They talked briefly about his patient from the night before. When he went to the kitchen to grab some breakfast, he heard Sabrina pad up the stairs to put Ella down. When Sabrina came back downstairs in nothing but a small black neglige, Patrick nearly spit out his coffee.

She stopped on the bottom step and crooked her finger at him to come over to her. "I'm calling in that raincheck," Sabrina said with a seductive smile.

Patrick forgot all about his breakfast and made a beeline for his wife. When he got to her, Sabrina pulled him into a kiss that nearly knocked him to his knees. Just as Sabrina was about to pull him up the stairs with her, there was a knock at the door.

"You have got to be fricken kidding me!" he ground out, unable to mask his frustration.

"Ignore it. Maybe they will go away." She said, hopeful.

Outside the door, Patrick heard Felix' voice say, "BREE! It's me. I came to see my girls. [Pause] "Bree?! Are you there?"

When Sabrina made to pass by him and let Felix in, Patrick said "Oh no you don't! Stay right there."

Patrick mumbled "I'm gonna kill him" as he stalked to the door. When he opened the door, Felix was all smiles.

"Oh, hi, Partrick. I didn't know you were home. I came to see Bree and Miss Ella. I have donuts!"

Before Felix could walk through the door, Patrick held his arm out to stop him. "Sabrina's occupied. Come back tomorrow." Then, he slammed the door on Felix' shocked face and latched the deadbolt, walked back to Sabrina (who was trying hard not to laugh), picked her up and carried her upstairs.

_The End (for now) :)_


	23. Chapter 23

**THE THIRD EPILOGUE**

Sabrina was standing by the dining room table cutting Ella's breakfast into bite size pieces when Patrick snuck up behind her and kissed her neck in the sensitive spot she liked, "Good morning, Mrs. Drake," he said, joy in his voice.

Sabrina leaned back into Patrick's embrace, craned her neck to look at him and replied, "I'll never get tired of hearing that."

"You'd better not because you're going to be hearing it for the rest of your life."

In response, Sabrina dropped the utensils and shifted in his arms, intending to give him a quick peck on the lips, but he surprised her by grabbing her tighter and pulling her close for a passionate kiss. She had almost forgotten they weren't alone until she heard a loud sigh and a "_Seriously?_" come out of Emma's mouth.

Sabrina broke away from Patrick, blushing, as Emma, who had just come out of the kitchen with her OJ and Pop Tarts, continued, "You guys have been back together for like five years now. It's getting a little embarrassing…"

At that, Patrick stepped closer to Sabrina and pulled her in for another kiss, this time dramatically dipping her in the process. When they broke apart, he deliberately winked at Emma, who rolled her eyes as she sat down at the table. Sabrina scolded him with a "_Patrick…_" and a slap on the butt for his little display and then returned to helping Ella eat. He merely shrugged as he moved to greet Zach, who was sitting in his high chair shifting cheerios around his tray, before grabbing his toast and coffee.

Patrick bussed Zach on the top of his head and then sat down with his breakfast. When Ella shouted "Daddy, Daddy!", he held out his arms and she bounded into them. Sabrina frowned at Patrick for diverting Ella's attention from the food she'd just spent the past few minutes cutting up, but then moved the plate in front of Patrick (who was holding Ella on his lap) and handed him the utensils, which he took reluctantly. Sabrina then sat down in front of her own breakfast and smirked as Patrick struggled to feed Ella and dodge flying Cheerios from the toddler while trying to drink his coffee.

Emma finished her "meal" and got up to get her stuff together for school. As she did that, Sabrina reminded her that Robin would be picking her up from the dance since it was Patrick and Sabrina's long-awaited date night.

Emma said, "Yeah, I remember." As Patrick looked up and asked, "What dance? Who said you could go to a dance?"

"You said I could go, dad."

"When?"

"Two weeks ago when I asked you. Mom said I could go, too."

"I don't remember that." Patrick started shaking his head and then said, "Um... I'm not sure it's such a good idea."

When Emma looked to Sabrina pleadingly, she interjected. "Patrick, you told her she could go. I checked it out and it will be fine. There are plenty of chaperones."

"I don't know... Maybe you should just go to your mother's tonight instead."

Emma, clearly frustrated, huffed. "Come on, dad, I'm not a little kid anymore. Everyone else will be there."

"I don't care about everyone else," Patrick said as he got up and passed Ella of to Sabrina. He walked over to Emma and said, "I care about you. I think you are too young."

"D-a-d!"

Hoping to diffuse the situation, Sabrina walked over to them, balancing Ella on her hip, "Emma, you'd better get outside before you miss the bus. I'll talk to your father."

Emma gave Patrick a withering "this is so unfair!" look as she grabbed her backpack and then stormed to the door. Before leaving, though, she paused and said bye to her siblings.

"What?" Patrick said as Sabrina looked at him pityingly. "She is too young to go to a dance."

"She's thirteen, Patrick."

"So?" Patrick said as he crossed his arms in a huff.

Sabrina put Ella down next to Patrick and walked over to collect Zach from his highchair before he started crying. "I think this is more about you than it is about her."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that your having a hard time accepting that she isn't your little Emma anymore. She is growing up - and you aren't handling it all that well."

Patrick shook his head in denial. "No. That isn't it."

"Then let her go." Sabrina put Zach in his playpen and walked back over to Patrick. When she pouted, he knew he was in for it. "Come on. It isn't going to kill you. It's just one dance. Think about how happy she will be..."

Patrick could never resist Sabrina when she got like this, so he held up his hands in defeat. "Alright. Fine. She can go." When Sabrina backed away smiling like the Chesire cat in victory, Patrick halted her. "But.. that means you're going to have keep me distracted tonight."

Sabrina leaned in and whispered wickedly, "I was planning on it." Unfortunately, she pulled away before he could react, presumably to clear the table while he was still there to watch the munchkins before leaving for work.

As much as Patrick hated the idea of Emma going to the dance, he had to admit that he was intrigued by how Sabrina planned to distract him during their date.

_That evening..._

Patrick turned the corner from the locker room, where he'd changed for his date with his wife, and stopped in his tracks. Sabrina was standing by the nurses station talking to Robin dressed in the the same black sheath dress and heels she wore the day she came back from Puerto Rico all those years ago. She may have had two kids since then, but she certainly didn't look it because she was as drop dead gorgeous as ever - and she was all his. Some days Patrick still couldn't believe his good fortune in meeting and falling in love with Sabrina. As much as he had hated the way his marriage to Robin deteriorated, he knew he was where he belonged and he never regretted his choice.

Patrick made his way over to Sabrina, who greeted him with a smile as she finished her conversation. As happy as Patrick was to see his wife, his smile faltered she he realized Sabrina was gushing to Robin over how grown up Emma looked when she dropped her off at the dance. When Robin happily replied about how excited Emma was over seeing Cameron, Spencer and the new boy, Alex, tonight, he nearly had an apoplexy. He looked at Robin and said, "How are you okay with this? Emma is too young to be going to dances."

At that Robin and Sabrina shared a look and Robin said, "Because I trust our daughter, Patrick. She has a good head on her shoulders. And, because it is being held at the school and is supervised by several parental chaperones."

"Well, the chaperones can't watch all the kids all the time. Something could happen. Emma's little triangle was cute five years ago..." When Sabrina snorted with barely contained sarcastic laughter, he pressed on, "but it isn't funny now. And, who the hell is Alex?"

"Seriously, Patrick? Alex is all she talks about. Do you even listen to her?"

Patrick looked between Robin and his wife, who were both looking at him as if he was stupid, and started stammering, "I...I..." Before he could make an even bigger fool of himself, Sabrina grabbed his hand and told him they had to go or they would miss their reservation at the Metro Court.

Sabrina drove the minivan as Patrick huffed and puffed over Emma. They never did make their reservation. She had spent almost an hour sprucing herself up for her long-awaited night alone with her husband in what felt like forever, but all he could do is obsess over Emma's dance. Instead of going to dinner, they ended up spontaneously chaperoning the middle school dance, much to Emma's mortification. Patrick insisted on just "stopping by" to check things out for himself on the way to dinner. Since Sabrina knew she wouldn't hear the end of it otherwise and Patrick was driving, she didn't put up a fuss. Unfortunately, a five minute visit turned into a three hour ordeal. Because Patrick was there, none of the boys would go near Emma. Because Emma was unhappy, she gave Patrick death glares all night. When Patrick couldn't figure out why Emma was so upset, Sabrina tried to subtly clue him in, but he didn't get the hint and even got annoyed because he thought she was siding against him. Generally, when it came to Emma, Sabrina worked hard not to interfere, choosing to let Patrick and Robin hash things out; however, in this case, Patrick was being completely irrational over nothing. Emma was miffed (rightly so), Robin thought he was insane (rightly so) and now Sabrina was out of patience. By 8:30, Sabrina gave up and told him that she was leaving to pick up the munchkins at Felix' and that if he wanted a ride home, he would either have to leave Emma to her own devices for thirty minutes or catch a ride with Robin and started walking out the door after waving to Emma.

Cursing herself for taking the long way, Sabrina abruptly pulled the minivan over on the side of a back road about halfway to Felix'. After putting it in park and turning off the engine, Patrick ceased chattering long enough to bombard her with questions about why they stopped. Sabrina didn't answer. Instead, she kicked off her heels, unbuckled her seat belt and used the little carpeted area between the seats to pivot herself out of her seat and onto Patrick's lap.

Surprised, he was (blessedly) silent for a moment. "Sabrina? What are you doing?"

"Distracting you."

Before he could respond, she leaned in and kissed him.

Apparently it took Sabrina doing something so completely out of character as this to get Patrick to realize he was an ass. Deep down he knew that the was being irrationally overprotective of Emma, but he'd been compelled to check things out at the dance anyway. Even though Sabrina had been a good sport and went along with his dumbass idea, he knew she was upset at the loss of their first night alone together in almost two months. Now, with her wiggling around on his lap as they kissed, he was kicking himself for ruining their evening.

After they broke apart, Patrick laid his forehead against hers and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Sabrina said, "Well, you should be" as she shifted positions so that she was straddling him. With the bottom of her dress ruched up to the top of her thighs, she grabbed his hand and guided it underneath the hem.

Patrick involuntarily gasped in surprise when his hand continued traveling northward without encountering any barriers. More turned on than he thought possible, Patrick locked eyes with Sabrina, who smirked mischievously as she unhooked his seat belt and went for his belt buckle.

Breaking their trance, Patrick abruptly pulled Sabrina toward him for a scorching kiss. Thankful the road was deserted, he moaned in pleasure as she settled herself on top of him and took control of their impromptu lovemaking.

Afterward, they held each other tightly and struggled to regain their composure. When Sabrina sat back, Patrick tenderly wiped a strand of hair away from her face. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For bringing me back to reality."

As Sabrina shifted positions and righted her dress, she joked, "Well, it was either that or smack you upside the head." She moved back into the driver seat and put on her heels. "But, seriously, honey, you need to loosen the reigns a little. Being so overprotective is just going to make Emma resent you."

Patrick sighed, straightened himself out and then said, "I know. I'll work on it..." Sabrina started the engine and was about to pull away when Patrick added, "But… don't be surprised if you need to distract me - often - while I try."

At that, Sabrina rolled her eyes and then reached over and punched him in the arm.


End file.
